The Element of Freedom
by Cherry chain
Summary: Everything seemed to be going smoothly; Ba Sing Se was liberated by the White Lotus, Zuko defeated Fire Lord Azula, and Aang reappears after vanishing at Ember Island. The war seemed won, until...
1. Ozai: Victory

It's been a very long time since I have written fanfiction. This story came to me while watching the last episode of Avatar. While I rarely write AU, preferring short stories that can be established within the canon, this was something I had to do.

This story is not suppose to be very long; expect perhaps three or four more chapters before it's done. Think of it as...an alternate ending to Avatar.

This should be obvious, but beware of spoilers if you have not watched the full series. This was written under the assumption the reader has, and reveals the ending.

Enjoy.

* * *

He could see the fear enter his eyes, widening it. He had caught it, caught the energy and the destruction, could feel the power in his body, hungering for death, for chaos. It urged him to let it go, attack, throw it back at the one who had created it, to kill and to burn and to end this man- to end it all, this war, the pain, the suffering; all he had to do was to give in to the power, all he had to do was let go.

Shaking, struggling to contain the power, he brought his hand forward slowly, pointing it at the one who had caused so much anguish, so much grief. The lives he had destroyed, the families he had crushed, the homes he had burned...he deserved this! He had to kill him, he had to-!

No...he can't. He can't take a life...he was not ready for that burden.

Concentrating with all his might, he brought his arm to the side, and released the energy into the sky. It cracked and thundered, lighting the area with an awe inspiring display of blue lightning. Its roar drowned out every other sound, just for an instant.

As the lightning left, it seemed to take some of his own power with it and The Avatar collapsed, falling to his knees as his strength left him.

Fire Lord Ozai smirked, the fear gone in an instant as he brought his leg up, tucked tight against his body and then unleashed a powerful kick, its momentum enhancing that of the jet of fire that came out. Drawing from the comet above, it soared in all its fury at Aang, who quickly hopped to his feet, bringing up a barrier of stone before him.

The stone was thin and weak compared to the concussive force behind the fire; it blasted through as if there was nothing in its way, and Aang could only cross his arms protectively before him as it threw him back, off the column he stood on. The stone took the brunt of the attack, but he was now soaring through the air, struggling to regain his senses. Opening his eyes, he could see the sky and the pillars rushing away from him above, which meant that...

He quickly flipped in midair so that he was no longer falling head-first towards the shallow lake that was approaching him at an alarming rate. He waved his arms in large circular motions, trying to keep his panic from taking his control as he raised the water below into a large bulge, padding him from the would-be fatal fall into the water.

He hit the water as if it were a solid wall, knocking his breath out, and it absorbed his momentum before he could hit the lakebed below. The large bulge he had created fell as a great wave towards shore, dragging the Avatar along with it. As he felt the ground beneath him, Aang scrambled to his feet in the knee-deep water. Above him the fire Lord was coming at him, fire propelling him to great speeds as he rushed towards the airbender. Aang turned and scrambled away to get away to a more advantageous position, hopping on top of the water and running along its surface, crashing into the shore. He lost his balance, falling forward hard, and turned in time to see Ozai already here.

The Avatar grabbed at the earth beneath him and raised them into a protective shell around himself, hoping for a temporary relieve from the battle. He was exhausted, having given everything he's got, and it still wasn't enough! His clothing was torn, and the wound on his back ached, reminding him of his weakness, his inability to call upon the Avatar Spirit. Gasping for breath, Aang braced himself and his shield for an attack.

Outside he could hear Ozai land, laughing derisively, cruelly.

"You're weak," He spat, and Aang could feel Ozai stepping forward, towards him. "Just like the rest of your people. They did not deserve to exist in this world- in _my_ world."

Aang shut his eyes, trying to shut out his enemy's taunting. He had to calm down, he had to focus...

"Prepare to join them. Prepare to **DIE**"

Aang flinched as he felt an immense blow against his shield, the temperature suddenly soaring, skyrocketing about him as fire must have roared around him. He felt the Fire Lord land some distance away, and Aang concentrated the best he could on the vibrations through the Earth like Toph had taught him, to see beyond the shell.

Ozai was coming in again, running at him...another blast of fire, heat. Sweat beaded and dripped down his small muscular frame as Aang held his shield together with all the power he could. He had to get out and fight, he knew, but to face Ozai again...to face this man whose power was unmatched under Sozin's Comet...it was terrifying.

"Come on out Avatar! You can't hide in there forever!" Ozai roared, shooting a continuous stream at his shield. He can't hold it...it's too hot, the fire was taking his air, was weakening the rock...

He cried out in alarm as he felt his entire sphere of rock being lifted into the air, and then a blast of incredible force knocked him back. It took all of his concentration, skill, and power to keep his small protective sphere together. It slammed into a stone barrier of some sort, and the barrage of fire began once more. He had to break out...he had to end this, he can't hold this any longer...

The fire stopped and he felt Ozai leap back, preparing for his next attack. And it came suddenly, with great force. His weathering defences could not hold against the pure power of the comet-enhanced fire, and as this blast hit, the stone began to crumble and fall from each other. Aang wove a shield of air before him, but he could not hold back the momentum of the attack and he was sent back, slamming into the rock behind him.

Pain.

Sharp, ragged, hard rock tore at his skin, tore through his wound, deepening the injury that kept him from the Avatar Spirit. The shock reverberated through his very being, and he gasped at the pain that racked his body, coughing as dust and debris entered his mouth and nose. He was buried under the rock, the remains of the very thing he had tried to protect himself with.

"Come on out little boy." Ozai taunted, walking forward.

_Get up. Now. They're all depending on you..._ Aang's grip tightened around a rock as he struggled to breathe under the weight of the rubble.

"You're about to join-" Ozai began, but was cut off as the rock pile before him exploded outwards. The Fire Lord lashed out with a jet of fire, pushing the missiles harmlessly aside, grinning as he saw Aang standing in the pile of rubble. The young boy stood straight, but Ozai could see the weariness in his limbs and the hopelessness that was slowly clouding his mind.

"Back for more?" Ozai took an offensive stance, fire dancing around his hands. Aang did not respond, simply taking his own battle stance. He was breathing hard, was exhausted. Ozai was tiring as well -Aang could feel that- but he was powerful, much more powerful. He was no match for him under the influence of Sozin's comet.

At least not in a head-on fight.

Ozai, predictably, was the first one to throw a strike. Fire gushed out of his fist as he punched, charging forward at Aang. The Avatar deflected the initial blow with a powerful gust of wind, then jumped up, using the air to propel him up as much as he could. A large rock jutted out of the pillar under him, blocking another blast from Ozai below, and Aang landed on top of the column.

In the distance Aang saw the last working airship flying away from the wreck of one that was falling down to crash into the forest. He had caught only glimpses of the aerial battle, of the airships being destroyed one by one, and could only assume that an ally had been responsible for it. Maybe even his friends.

Aang hopped back off the column as he felt Ozai approach, propelled up by fire, and The Avatar grabbed onto the rock, commanding the Earth to ease and slow his fall. Up above there was a furious roar -looks like Ozai finally saw the fate of his airship fleet- and Aang hopped back off the column as fire rained down at him. Ozai send several consecutive blasts his way, and the Avatar deflected each with a shield of air as he landed onto the side of the next pillar.

"You can't run and dodge me forever Avatar!" Ozai roared, enraged. Aang scrambled up the side of the pillar, leaping from ledge to ledge, always just a step in front of the Fire Lord's attack. "You have lost! This world is mine! You can't hide from the inevitable!" He was answered by a large boulder soaring through the air at him. Ozai barely flinched, blasting the rock to smithereens with a single well-placed blow.

Aang brought up a thick wall of rock in front of him, which blocked the predictable counterattack. Before he could allow Ozai to destroy it completely, he was gone, hopping to the next column of rock. Growling with frustration, Ozai redirected his fire as he jumped off and followed. Aang suddenly let go of the air, allowing himself to fall as another fireball soared harmlessly over his head. The young boy looked down grimly with concentration. Ozai has never fought an Airbender before; he'll show him just how effective "run and dodge" is.

Both sides were slowly being worn down as Ozai threw strike after strike and Aang focused on defending himself. The Avatar had youth, natural talent, and all four elements on his side, while the Fire Lord has years of experience, training, and battle wisdom on his.

Aang landed back on the lake, softening his landing so that he barely rippled the water as he stood on its surface. He was gasping for breath, but there was no reprieve; Ozai was right behind him. Moving into his stance, Aang brought the water up above him in a large wave, but it did little. Ozai slammed through it just as Aang let go of his grasp on the water, and he allowed himself to sink down beneath the surface as Ozai crashed down next to him.

He didn't have time to think; just act. As he came up and out of the water, a few metres away Ozai was also making for the surface. Aang jumped up above the water, spinning as he went. A great gust of wind blew out from him, stealing the heat of the water as they blew past. Ice began to form over the surface of the water, getting thicker and thicker.

Moments later a hole in the ice began to rapidly melt, the form of Ozai trying to climb out. Water spouted out of the hole around him, freezing solid at Aang's command. There was calm for a long, tense moment, and the young Avatar sighed, his strength leaving him in a rush as he fell to his knees on the ice.

Was it...over? Did he...k-...kill Ozai?

His wounds from Azula's lightning throbbed, a jagged line of pain that extended from his back all the way down his left leg. He was covered in minor burns, scratches, bruises. He had taken no serious hits during the battle -or he would likely be dead- but he had little strength left.

He glanced upwards as a shadow passed by, to see the last airship hovering above them. Aang tensed, not knowing if it was friendly or not, and hopped to his feet, preparing himself for the worst.

"AANG!" He heard a familiar voice coming from the airship, and the airbender relaxed, seeing a small speck of blue on the airship's deck. It was Sokka! As Aang motioned to wave up at his friend though, the ice under him suddenly gave way. It melted in an instant, the ice turned to water then steam and the Avatar slipped down with a surprised yelp.

A hand grabbed onto his shoulder and shoved him down into the water, and Ozai's head came up over the surface, gasping for air. Aang fought to keep his breath in from the shock; the water all about him was at a scalding hot temperature, burning his exposed skin. He reflexively kicked to get back to the surface, only to be blown back down by a powerful current of hot water.

He twisted free of Ozai's grip, propelling himself away by bending the water between them, forcefully pushing the two apart. Aang broke out of the water moments later, straight up into the air. The ice was all gone now, the entire area steaming. As Ozai propelled himself off the water with a blast of fire, it bubbled and boiled all about him.

Aang landed gently back onto the surface of the lake- but Ozai did not. The Fire Lord continued up...towards the airship. Aang suddenly realized his intention, and jumped up after Ozai. But he didn't have his glider; he couldn't make it that high up! Ozai shot a blast of fire at the airship as he approached, and Aang could hear Sokka yelling. The engines at the side of the airship were damaged, and the attack caused it to explode. Sharp metal shrapnel flew in all directions, but Ozai easily brushed them away with a sweeping wall of fire.

"No!" Aang cried out as he began to fall back to earth, quickly forming a ball of air. He grabbed onto it to maintain his height as he helplessly watched the battle above. A sheet of metal ripped itself off the ship and came hurling down at Ozai; that meant Toph was up there as well.

The Fire Lord easily evaded the large projectile and continued up, propelled by the fire coming out of his feet. Aang watched the metal sheet soar by, and the airbender allowed his air ball to dissipate as he leaped for the piece of metal. It was huge, heavy, and most importantly, flat. As Aang grabbed onto it, its sharp uneven edges cutting into his palm, he swung himself in midair with all his might, bringing the metal sheet around with him like a giant fan.

The wind he generated from the metal, augmenting his natural airbending ability, flew upwards like a blade, cutting Ozai off like a wall. The firebender was thrown back from its force to collide with one of the many rock columns. As the wind reached the airship it expanded and blew outwards, catching the great machine and flinging it away as if it were some giant's toy. The Airship's momentum brought it far past the Wulong Forest, over the ocean. Aang winced as he heard a loud splash in the distance, praying for his friends' safety.

"I'm sorry." He murmured as he fell back down towards the lake, gathering the wind about him to slow his descent. Letting go of the metal sheet, it hit the water below him and was swallowed by the lake. This was his fight; he couldn't bare the thought of losing Sokka or Toph to Ozai. And if they were here to fight him, that's just what Aang believed would happen. Ozai was too powerful. As Aang landed back onto the water for the third time, he stared at the comet above. The giant flaming ball was halfway through its trip across the sky.

The Earth Kingdom will not fall today. The Airship Fleet is down; Ozai and his surviving soldiers will not be able to reach Ba Sing Se in time, will not be able to burn more of the land. He could take satisfaction in that victory at least, little as it was. Aang doesn't know about the White Lotus's attempt at liberating the Earth Kingdom capital.

His moment of rest was cut short again, as Ozai landed on the shore of the lake. Aang turned to face him, balanced carefully above the water. The battle resumed. A large powerful jet of fire came in a straight line at Aang, blasting aside and vaporizing the water. The Avatar brought up a large wave before himself, freezing it just as the fire hit. Aang was out of there in an instant, running for the opposite shore, his speed augmented by both his airbending and waterbending.

As he skidded onto shore he turned to raise a shield of rock- just in time. Ozai had followed him, and the stone barrier collapsed under the weight of an attack, but absorbed the brunt of it. Aang deflected the rest of the force with a wall of wind. So suddenly, Ozai was there in front of him, within melee range. The two traded several physical blows, each sending a bending attack with every strike. It didn't take Aang very long to realize that though he was more agile than Ozai, he wasn't nearly as strong. He fell into a quick retreat, sending up blocks of stone up from the ground before him with each step, which the Fire Lord easily jumped over.

Another shield of wind redirected a fireblast aside; barely. With a frustrated growl Aang raised a large stone wall before him, blocking the Fire Lord off. He then turned and hopped onto the side of a stone pillar, then to the top of another- at least, he was attempting to before a fireball beat him to it. The fire hit the rock with concussive force, sending Aang back. The young boy reflexively crossed his arms protectively before his face, blasting away bits of flying and burning debris with a light wind as he fell back towards the ground.

He spun in midair so that he could see where he was landing. Ozai was waiting for him. Aang saw the attack coming straight up at him, and blasted a strong current of air outwards from himself in a ball. It pushed back the first wave of the fire, back into Ozai but the Fire Lord threw aside the deflected attack and continued his stream of fire.

Aang screamed as fire engulfed him. It burned at his already wounded skin, stealing his air. It lasted for only an instant as he called in a great gust of wind over himself, blowing him out of the stream Ozai was shooting.

He fell heavily a few dozen feet away, and for one of the rare times in his life, he was not ready for this landing. There was a nasty _crack!_ sound and pain shot up his left arm, the one he had landed on. He bit back his scream, for Ozai was advancing upon him, scowling fiercely.

Aang struggled onto his knees, holding his arm held tightly at his side. He slashed at Ozai with his right arm, releasing a blade of air. Ozai blew it apart with a small fire blast, one that continued through towards Aang. He ducked and rolled out of the way, the motion sending agony up his shoulder. He broke his roll down on one knee, clutching at his arm. He must have fractured it, and it, like everything else now, _hurt_.

"Fool. Fire has always fed on Air, grown stronger in its presence. You stand no chance against me!" Ozai roared, walking forward calmly. He had beaten Aang, both knew; an injury like his broken arm would greatly hamper his ability to bend, tipping the uneven scale all the way to favour the Fire Lord. Aang stared up at his opponent with grim determination, though his heart raced, beating hard against his chest. He could feel his Chakras becoming stagnant, the flow blocked as fear clogged his first.

Like hell he was going down quietly though.

Letting go of his arm he punched the ground with his other to bring a pillar of rock up under Ozai- or at least, that was his intention. Before he made contact with the ground, a sharp pain exploded in the back of his right shoulder, and blood sprayed across his vision. The force behind the blow pushed his shoulder forward, sending him sprawling on the ground. The rock under Ozai bulged for a moment from Aang's attempt but quickly settled back down without the strength of its bender.

Ozai looked up to see where the arrow came from. A small group of his troops were moving towards them, weaving between the stone pillars. It seems a good number had survived the crashes.

Aang groaned on the ground, blood pooling under him. The powerful bow had put the arrow straight through his shoulder, lodging it there, incapacitating the entire arm. He struggled to get up as the Fire Lord neared, using what little strength he had left in his arm arms to push him to his knees before a powerful hand grabbed him around the throat. Aang moved to block it by reflex, his right arm coming up for a moment before pain forced it limp again.

Ozai lifted him up in that position, and the Avatar barely resisted.

"I should kill you right now." Ozai whispered angrily. His plans for that day had failed, and though in the end he had triumphed over the Avatar, the fact a 12-year-old boy had stalled him for so long, long enough to ruin his attack on the Earth Kingdom, was infuriating. He had attacked with the intention to kill throughout the fight, but now that he was in a slightly more rational state, he was able to hold himself back.

"But I won't. If you escaped the attack on the Air Nomads and evaded us for a hundred years, I would hate to have to go through the same trouble with the Water Tribes." He loosened his grip, allowing the young boy to collapse in a heap on the ground.

"We are going back to the capital!" Ozai announced to the troops that were gathering around them now, most of them staring at Aang with awe. One in particular, holding a bow, seemed beside himself with pride. Beaming, he kept unsuccessfully trying to catch Ozai's attention.

"A great victory has been won today, though not the one we had came here to claim. We have The Avatar! A strike at the hearts of the weak who had put their hopes in this boy!"

His troops raised their weapons, crying out in agreement. Whatever morale destroyed by the destruction of the airship fleet was rekindled at the sight of the Fire Nation's greatest enemy crumpled at Phoenix King Ozai's feet.

Within hours the surviving mechanics were salvaging the remains of emergency war balloons within the wrecks of the airships in order to return the troops home. An Eel Hound was found by the shores and quickly put to work; they were the fastest animals known to travel over land and water. A messenger was sent with the lizard-like creature back to the capital, and should arrive within a day. The rest of the troops will be behind him by the next.

xXxXxXxXx

"Kid, work with me here." A voice told him gruffly, and Aang groaned, unwilling to crawl back from unconsciousness. He was afraid of what he'd find if he does.

"Damn it kid, wake up!" Whoever it was slapped him across the face and he bolted upright- or tried to. He was tied down, chains binding his ankles and his left wrist to metal pegs on the ground. A thin blanket was laid under him, another over him though it was pushed back to expose his heavily-bandaged upper torso. His right arm was free, allowing him to sit up slightly. A makeshift splint ran the length of his broken arm, and a man was knelt on his other side, a pile of medical supplies by his side.

"Welcome back ta the world of the livin' thank the gods. The Fire Lo- Phoenix King'll have my head if ya died." The man wore red and black in the style of the Fire Nation, but it wasn't the armour of the soldiers, but loose robes. A medic. Aang groaned, closing his eyes and trying to clear his head; he had a bad headache and everything hurt. What had happened to him again...?

"Haven't worked with a kid in a while. Oi, bite down on this, and try not ta scream too loudly. The soldiers are restin' outside."

Before he had any time to protest, a stiff, flat piece of what felt like strong cardboard was stuffed into his mouth and his eyes widened when the man took out a knife. In one smooth movement, he grabbed Aang's shoulder and cut the tail off the arrow that was still in his shoulder.

"Shhh! What did I tell ya about stayin' quiet?" The man scowled as The Avatar screamed. "Nothing's wrong, just getting the damned arrow out!" The man told a curious soldier who stuck his head into the tent. The soldier resumed his post with a shrug.

Aang tried his best to keep it down to a whimpering as the medic forced the remains of the shaft through his shoulder.

"...ugh...thanks..." Aang mumbled after it was over, spitting out the cardboard thing, and the man set to work on stopping the blood from flowing and bandaging it up.

"Don't thank me kid. The Phoenix King 'aint a nice guy, you'll regret me savin' ya soon enough. If yer lucky ya can still bleed ta death, that was one nasty shot through the shoulder." He mumbled, tying off the bandage. "Though I'd prefer ya don't. Don't think that'll have good consequences fer me."

Aang didn't resist as the man pushed him back down to lie on the ground, locking his right wrist to the last peg.

"Don't tell 'em I unlocked one. They're paranoid ya'll just blow the entire camp ta smithereens if you had any access ta bendin'. Ha! They're terrified of ya, a twelve year-old boy? Can you believe that?" The man laughed, putting away his supplies. "And how was I ta get that arrow out with ya tied ta the ground?"

The man pulled the blanket fully over Aang before walking off. The Avatar closed his eyes, having barely understood anything. His period of waking felt hazy and like a dream, even the pain fading away.

"Later kid, please tell one of t'guards if ya think yer gonna die. I've got quite a few other patients ta attend to." He called out before stepping out of the tent. Aang barely heard him, slipping quickly into a deep sleep, one brought about by exhaustion, his body doing its best to recover from the ordeal.

* * *

I hope the medic came across as gruff but kind. I wanted to end the chapter...not exactly _optimistically_, but I didn't want it to be completely bleak. This isn't suppose to be the bad ending of Avatar.

I can honestly say that writing this was painfully slow for me. Aang was one of the only characters I bonded emotionally with at all while watching the series, and making him go through all this was hard on me. Unfortunately, this happening to him is the major catalyst for this story, so I couldn't avoid it.

I never understood why smacking the wound that locked his 7th Chakra would magically unlock it. Not to mention I really didn't like how Aang simply just Avatar Mode'd the fight, which meant everything he personally accomplished in bending over the three seasons meant _nothing_. It just means that even if Aang fought Ozai at the beginning of the series, he would have had his rear handed to him, and then he'd go Avatar Mode and proceed to beat the living daylights out of Ozai, especially since there was no Sozin's comet.

Anyways, thanks for reading, reviews are loved, and they increase the probability of me updating.


	2. Zuko: Fire Lord

Pfft, don't expect me to update this fast ever again. If I do, it's probably a god-given miracle.

Now we leave Aang to see what's up with the rest of Team Avatar. This'll move faster than the first chapter, I promise. I still have no clue how I wrote nearly 5k words describing a single battle.

* * *

She closed her eyes, straining to channel all the healing energy she could through the water. It glowed an eerie blue, and she could feel the twisted energy, the wound, one so similar to Aang's. It was burnt from the heat and the flesh was paralysed by the shock. But this one wasn't as deep- it never reached his heart like it did Aang's. She could heal this without the Spirit Oasis water...or at least, that's what she hoped.

She opened her eyes when she heard him groaning, and watched in relief as he stirred back into consciousness. She didn't stop channelling the healing, he still needed it, but he was awake! He is going to be okay! Katara felt her eyes watering from relief, and it was only then that she realized she had been terrified of losing him.

"Thank you Katara." Zuko murmured, his face spreading in a faint smile. Katara returned the smile, shaking her head.

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you." She told him, pulling the water off the wound on his chest as Zuko struggled up into a sitting position. She couldn't forget the fact that lightning had been meant for her- and without the knowledge to redirect it as Zuko did, she would have died if she had been hit.

She helped him to his feet, and she helped steady him as the two glanced over at Azula. The Fire Lord's eyes opened wide in shock to see her brother get up, seemingly unharmed, and something within her snapped. Azula screamed, a jet of flames shooting out of her mouth, and she fought hard against the chains Katara had bound her with. Crying and screaming hysterically, she fell to the ground, still trying to rip herself away.

The two looked away, uncomfortable with the scene.

"What now?" Katara asked, looking up above to see the comet far to the east- it was leaving the atmosphere within minutes. Zuko clenched a fist with determination.

"I take my throne and we end this war."

xXxXxXxXx

"Toph! Help me push this out!" Suki yelled. She was straining her weight against a metal boat, trying to push it far enough to drop into the water below. Toph stepped forward, and within seconds she and her Metalbending had turned the boat around the right-way up and dropped it down into the water with a loud splash.

The airship was sinking, fast. With Sokka's leg broken and Toph unable to swim, it had been a scramble for the three to find a boat. Suki turned to help Sokka to his feet, the young man unable to even stand without help.

"Toph! You first!" Suki told the girl, and with some reluctance Toph went to the edge of the deck and lowered herself down, dropping the last few feet onto the boat. It wobbled from the sudden force and weight, but remained steady. Suki swung Sokka's arm behind her neck and reached around with her own to grasp him around the middle.

"Hold onto me Sokka." She told him, and he nodded, preparing himself. She helped him hobble to the edge of the deck, and the two changed positions so that he was on her piggy-back style. The Kyoshi warrior leaped, landing solidly onto the boat below as Sokka grunted through gritted teeth. Broken legs _suck_.

Suki lowered Sokka onto the bottom of the boat as she reached for an oar. Toph made her way to another and the two propelled themselves away from the sinking airship as fast as possible.

"ARGH! Why, why, **why** did that idiot _do that_?" Toph raged the entire way, stomping her feet angrily. Everyone knew who she was talking about; they were all conflicted over Aang's actions. "Does he think we can't take care of ourselves? We could have _helped_ him!" There were tears in her eyes, but Toph quickly wiped them away.

"He was losing; we wouldn't have made a difference. This is just like Aang, he didn't want us to get hurt." Suki replied sadly, looking forward towards the shore.

"_You_ guys might not have been able to help, but _I_ would have." Toph fumed, stopping her paddling for a moment to punch the side of the boat, leaving quite a deep indent.

Sokka sat at the bottom of the boat, having been quiet the entire time.

"You didn't see them Toph." He whispered finally, remembering back to what little of the battle he had seen. "No offence, but...you wouldn't have been able to keep up; you wouldn't even have been able to _see_ them half the time."

Sokka leaned forward to rest his forehead against the side of the boat as Toph continued to take her anger out on the boat. He felt terrible, and not just from his wounds.

"It was stupid to expect Aang to beat Ozai by himself, especially with the Comet." He murmured angrily. They had always depended on Aang to do this, put so much pressure on a twelve-year-old kid to accomplish what most Avatars start at the age of sixteen and spend twelve years to achieve! Everyone had always just blindly hoped for his success...

"Don't say that, we don't know how the battle is going." Suki reassured him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sokka just sighed, sitting back to stare up at the red sky above. It was hard to be optimistic. He remembered seeing Aang standing on a layer of ice on the lake, him suddenly disappearing, the ice melting and the entire lake steaming...how could Aang face against that kind of power?

xXxXxXxXx

Katara was more than just a little on edge as Zuko approached the crowd. The nobles of the Fire Nation whispered uneasily, glancing from each other to the one who claimed to be the new Fire Lord. The Fire Sages stood at the steps of the throne room like they had been before Azula's coronation was disrupted. They kept their faces stony, a mask of emotion, as Zuko pushed his way through the crowd and up towards them. Katara stayed down in the crowd, slowly backing up to where Appa was waiting in the courtyard. There was a clearing around him, as the people gave him a large berth. She was ready to get them out of here the moment it seemed things were not going well.

"You leave us in a difficult position Prince Zuko." The leader of the Fire Sages finally spoke, stepping forward.

"I of royal blood have defeated the Fire Lord in an Agni Kai. The throne is mine; do you challenge my right?" Zuko declared, glaring down at the Fire Sage. The man paused, and shook his head.

"You were not the one who defeated Fire Lord Azula; she shot you down." He replied firmly. Zuko saw the soldiers on either side readying their weapons and taking fire bending stances. He ignored them though, not allowing himself to show any weakness or fear.

"No, she attacked a non-combatant, Katara, during the duel. By the rules of Agni Kai, she lost." Zuko extended an open palm, gesturing to the five-pronged crown held by the Fire sage.

"I do not think Phoenix King Ozai-" The Fire sage began, suddenly sweating nervously.

"Forget him!" The man gulped and slowly placed the crown into Zuko's hand. In one deft movement he put his hair up into a top-knot with a strip of cloth and added the crown to the bun of hair. Though he acted confident, the name of his father made him shudder inside. As long as he kept control, spend his days strengthening his hold as the new Fire Lord, things will go smoothly. But if Ozai returns...

He could only hope for Aang's success.

Below Katara released a breath she had barely noticed holding. Things were going surprisingly well; though Azula being crowned Fire Lord had come as a shock to them, it seemed to have worked to their advantage. She unconsciously stroked Appa's fur next to her, running her fingers through the thick hair. The Sky Bison stayed quiet, seemingly aware of the seriousness of the moment.

All they needed to do now was to wait for the arrival of the news of Ozai's defeat; because Aang has to come back, has to succeed.

xXxXxXxXx

"Sokka, stop squirming!" Suki scolded, trying to straighten and hold down Sokka's leg beside a metal pole they had managed to pry off their boat, a feat that took a while without Toph's assistance. The young man grimaced, both hands clenched tightly into fists.

"I'm...trying...urgh..." He mumbled through gritted teeth. When they've finally got it, Suki got to work binding his leg to the metal as a makeshift splint. Toph sat on the opposite side of the small flat boat, cross-legged with her back to the others. She had barely spoken after the end of her tirade half an hour previously, and had simply sat there, sulking.

"When we find twinkletoes after we get back to shore, I am going to punch him _so hard_." She finally growled, the first thing the others had heard her say for quite a period of time. The metal bottom of the boat around her in circular fashion scrunched up, as if it was nothing more than a piece of cloth and Toph had grabbed it and jerked it in towards her.

"Ow!" Sokka cried, the change to the floor having jolted his leg. Suki kept her balance, and deftly tied off the final part of the splint at his ankle. She patted him on the shoulder, and bent forward to peck him on the cheek.

"Now there's my brave little warrior." She teased, and got up to her feet. They had left the wreckage of the airship far behind them, where fires still burned on the surface of the water. The shore was visible now on the horizon, the pillars of rock that made made Wulong forest famous...the column of smoke that marked the Fire Nation's destructive power. The comet was gone, but smoke and soot covered the sky, creating a lingering, orange glow up above.

"Come on Toph, help me row us the last bit back to shore." Suki asked the young girl. The Earthbender blew a strand of hair off her face and stood up, walking wordlessly to the oar opposite Suki's.

"I'll help too." Sokka piped up. He hated feeling useless, making the girls do all the work, and honestly he'd like to have something to keep his mind occupied. No matter what he did it was hard for his mind not to veer back to Aang, to wonder if he was okay.

Neither of the girls tried to stop him as he half-crawled to an oar and dragged himself onto the bench. It was slow work, with the three of them trying to run a boat usually manned by a dozen men, but they made progress. The three said little, the atmosphere sombre and grim.

Somewhere around an hour later, the bottom of their boat ground against sand as they reached the shore. None of them had imagined just how far they had been blown away; Aang's power always seemed to surpass their expectations. As Toph hopped out, visibly relieved to be on solid ground again, Suki helped Sokka hobbled off with some difficulty.

The fire lingered between the blackened trees, smoking and giving off a distinctive acrid smell. The usual sounds of wildlife was gone, silenced, replaced by the distant roaring of the fire. Toph went to work right away in smothering what fire was left in the area, moving a large amount of sand from the beach onto the forest.

A few seconds of Earthbending later, a solid wall surrounded them on all four sides, with two tents made of stone, one much larger than the other. Minutes later, burnt pieces of wood were gathered in a fire pit and ignited, and the group settled down for the day. They were all tired and rest would do them good.

"The only thing we can do is to head back to Ba Sing Se. The White Lotus should have taken back control of the capital by now, and we can work together on a plan." Sokka told the group as they sat around the fire, drawing a rough map out in the sand with a stick.

"The problem is that between us, here-" He gestured to the northeastern shores of the Earth kingdom "-and here-" he pointed to the circle that was Ba Sing Se's outer wall "-is a burning forest and a few weeks' journey on foot."

Toph stamped her feet, the sand around the map shifting so that it was no longer recognizable. She flicked a pebble at it, blasting sand up in all directions, completely destroying the map.

"Or how about instead of running away with our tail tucked between our legs, we show those Fire Nation idiots what we can really do. They're as trapped here as we are, and if they're not all dead then they probably have Aang." She stated, clenching a fist. None of them were willing to to say or even think that Aang might be dead; there was an unspoken mutual agreement that they assume Aang had either been captured, or maybe they can even dare to hope he had won.

Suki shook her head.

"We don't know how many survived, but their numbers are likely higher than ours. And they have Ozai- there's no way we can fight them all." She reasoned carefully, knowing how volatile Toph can be. The Earthbender glowered at her, sightless eyes furrowed in anger.

"We can't just do _nothing_!" She yelled with frustration, stamping her feet. A section of the stone wall slid down into the ground and Toph stood up suddenly, turning and heading for it.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Sokka asked, trying to get up to stop her, but was very quickly stopped by his broken leg. Suki had a similar train of thought, jumping over the fire to grab Toph by the shoulder. The young girl spun around, shoving Suki back.

"Let me _**go**_!"

Suki kept her grip though, staying her ground.

"I know you are upset about what Aang did and you are worried about him, but it does nobody any good if you get yourself killed." She told Toph firmly. The Earthbender shook slightly, balling her hands into fists at her side. She looked down, averting Suki's gaze and quickly wiped at her eyes with a sleeve.

"How could he do that to us? Doesn't he realize how much it hurts us if we lose him?" She whispered, and Suki sighed, drawing the girl into a tight hug. Or tried to. Toph shoved Suki back, and this time successfully staggered the older girl, who took a step back to stabilize herself.

"How could he be so selfish?" Toph yelled, and before Suki could say anything in response the Earthbender had sat down, erecting a full stone tent around herself. Suki sighed, and turned back to Sokka, shrugging helplessly.

"Just leave her alone for now...I guess." Sokka mumbled, not willing to get involved.

xXxXxXxXx

Zuko sat at the head of the war meeting, legs crossed as fire burned all about him. Sustaining them took a toll on him, but he could not allow them to falter. He had to prove to these generals that he was the rightful Fire Lord, that he was strong enough to lead this nation. He sat in a new change of clothes, a simple but well-made silk robe of red, trimmed in black and gold.

Katara sat on her knees by his right side, in a new red and black dress; it was best for now not to draw attention to the fact she was from a water tribe. She did her best to keep an impassive face, though her heart raced. She wasn't exactly familiar with political affairs -the southern water tribe was barely a full community- and they were in a situation where a single slip of words, a failed moment of insight, could kill them both.

"End the war? When victory is so close at hand?" One of the generals raged, getting to his feet. All around the map others nodded their agreement. "The end of our hundred years of labour is finally within sight! And you ask of us to simply abandon it?"

The fire around Zuko flared higher at his command, and he scowled at the general.

"This war has caused nothing but suffering for the people of the entire world. And we have gained little, if anything, from the conflict. Our nation has lost entire generations of young men to the war!" He stated, his voice building up in momentum.

It had been a gamble to call a war meeting before he had stabilized his power within the Fire Capital, but so far nothing terribly wrong has happened. Already he has escaped an assassination attempt -a poor one at that- and no one has moved against him after that. With Azula defeated and imprisoned, and Zuko's assurance that the Avatar was handling the Phoenix King, there was no one to challenge his rule.

"And we throw away their sacrifice! We allow the salvages to believe they had broken our spirits, had defeated our glorious nation!" The General continued, looking away from Zuko to address those present. There was murmured agreement, and Zuko realized he had allowed the general to speak too much.

"ENOUGH! This war is ending. I promise you all in this room that I will fight for this outcome until my last dying breath. This is not negotiable; by the time this meeting has been adjourned, I want everything taken care of in this regard." There was grumblings amongst the generals, most still not having accepted Zuko fully.

Katara sighed, shifting uneasily. Zuko had told her to let him handle this, and she had more more than happy to stay quiet before they came. But these idiots! Don't they understand the pain their war has caused? Don't they understand the lives, so many lives, they would save if they end it here and now? She wanted to grab the general who spoke up and shake him until he came to his senses, until he realized that his war had stolen a young girl's mother, had separated her from her father...had nearly driven her people to extinction. She held herself back, knowing that an outburst would not help...but still, it was hard...

The next hours drew by slowly, excruciatingly so. The generals fought Zuko every inch of the way, none of them willingly to give up the war yet. But slowly, step by step, they agreed on the halt of production of war machines, the withdrawal of troops from occupied Earth Nation land, the release of Prisoners of War...

By the end of the day, an exhausted Zuko stepped out of the meeting room. Away from the judging eyes of the generals, he slumped against the wall just outside the doors, catching his face with his open palms. Katara came up next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You did good. We should get some rest, and I want to take another look at that wound of yours." She told him, and Zuko nodded appreciatively, managing a smile.

The two of them headed down the hall, towards the living quarters of the palace.

xXxXxXxXx

"Ah! Katara...was it? It's good to see you again." The man beamed, standing just outside Zuko's room. Katara glanced at the man's clothing, a dark red shirt covered with two lighter shawls, held by a clasp of ruby. He wore a red conical cap that ended in a three-pronged crown. It was the outfit of the Fire Sages, and his seemed new.

"...Shyu?" Katara asked a moment when she recognized the figure. He had been one of the people Zuko had demanded the release of. It was the Fire sage who had helped Aang meet Roku so early in their journey. Zuko walked up next to her, his chest half-bandaged to reveal the burns from Azula's lightning. Katara was halfway through her healing session when this man showed up. Shyu nodded, then turned to Zuko with a slight bow.

"I thank you for the orders to release me. It is good to be back in the palace." He told the two, straightening back up. "How is Avatar Aang faring? I was told that he had defeated Ozai." He asked, beaming with happiness. Katara and Zuko exchanged glanced, and Katara motioned for Shyu to enter.

"We can trust him." Katara told the new Fire Lord as he hesitated, and he nodded at her words, quickly moving to shut the door. Shyu looked confused, but patiently waited as the two moves to close the window. Finally, the three sat on the floor in the middle of the room, and Katara worked on bandaging Zuko back up.

"Actually, we don't know what happened to Aang. He disappeared two days ago when we were at Ember Island." Katara explained, worry creasing her face. Shyu's eyes widened.

"But I was told-" he began, but Zuko cut him off with an upraised hand.

"We can only hope that Aang has returned and dealt with Ozai, and that is what I have been claiming. It was the only way to solidify my power here." The Fire lord explained with an exhausted sigh, staring down at the floor. Shyu stayed silent, mulling this over.

"This is indeed a problem. Ozai has the loyalty of the generals and the nobles; if he returns alive, your reign will be short lived." Shyu said slowly, carefully. Katara tied off the end of the bandage, and handed Zuko his new robes. The Firebender slipped them on wordlessly, wincing as the motion stretched the skin over his wound.

"We will do what we can. Ozai has not returned yet, and we have already accomplished a lot." Katara claimed, getting to her feet. "And we have to trust Aang."

Shyu nodded, getting up as well.

"Yes, we must trust Avatar Aang. But please, never put all your hopes on the Avatar...he is the protector of the balance of this world, but he can not do it alone." Shyu turned for the door. "I will go join the rest of the Fire Sages, and learn what I can for you. If I hear anything, I will let you know."

Katara watched as he left, feeling her heart twisting with worry. The sage's words were not reassuring, just a reminder to her that Aang, ultimately, was only a young boy.

"I'm going to bed now. Be sure to get some rest." Katara told Zuko, heading for the door herself.

xXxXxXxXx

Sokka stared up at the night sky, obscured by smoke. The air was heavy with the smell of acrid soot, one that had killed the entire group's appetite. It might as well have been a good thing, because their tries at scavenging for food were short lived; the smouldering forest was too dangerous to trek though.

"Can't sleep?" Suki asked, sitting down next to him. Sokka turned to see her staring down at him and he sighed, nodding.

"I can't help but worry about him. If he's still ali-...if he's still...around, he would have found us by now." He mumbled, and Suki winced at Sokka's slip of words. Bending down, she kissed him briefly.

"He's strong, he'll be able to take care of himself." Suki reassured him, and Sokka nodded with a small smile.

"He does tend to get himself in and out of trouble a lot doesn't he?" He mumbled, his eyes falling close. "Maybe you're right. I owe Aang more confidence than this."

Suki gestured towards the largest of the three rock tents Toph had erected in their camp.

"Let's get some sleep. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

xXxXxXxXx

A knock at her door had Katara wide awake in an instant. She rolled out of bed to land on her feet before she even registered her own motion.

"Who is it?" She asked, prepared to pull out the water from a nearby pitcher if she must. Not surprisingly, she slept lightly all night.

"It's me, Shyu." The man whispered at her door, and Katara visibly relaxed. Outside the window she could see the dawn sky shaded a dull pink; the sun had not yet risen over the rim of the volcanic crater where the Fire Nation Capital resided.

"What's wrong?" She asked after rushing to the door, opening it a crack. The Fire Sage stood outside nervously, a brown travel cloak around his shoulders.

"You and Fire Lord Zuko must leave. Immediately." He whispered, leaning in so he can keep his voice lower. "News just arrived. From Ozai. He's alive, and he's coming back. He'll be here by tomorrow."

Katara's eyes widened at the implications, but it's not like she and Zuko did not prepare themselves for this.

"What about Aang? Any mention?" She whispered, and Shyu shook his head.

"I did not see the letter personally, but I heard nothing about Avatar Aang." he replied.

Katara nodded, and turned to prepare herself. Damn it, it seems that Aang did not come back from wherever he had disappeared to. That woman, June, had claimed that Aang no longer exists...Katara had brushed it off but it was suddenly a very persistent thought. _Oh, please be ok..._

"Go wake Zuko!" She told Shyu and he didn't need to be told twice. Katara sprinted back into her room, and grabbed her bending water skin. Opening up the end, she refilled it to the brim with water from the pitcher and grabbed a thick travelling cloak from the closet. By the time she skidded out into the hall Zuko and Shyu both were running towards her. She met them half-way, all three looking grim.

"What is the plan?" Shyu asked, looking from between Katara and Zuko.

"We have to get to Appa before more people find out; we can fly out before anyone notices." Katara told him, and then turned.

"Then we must hurry! The Fire Sages have already received the news, which is how I found out. They will be moving to inform the generals even as we speak!" Shyu told them.

Zuko growled in frustration, slamming a fist against the wall before following. Everything had been going so well too!

Several minutes later they were down at the courtyard where Appa had stayed for the night. It was the site of Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai, the buildings in the area burnt and damaged. A large pile of hay had been put in a corner of the yard, on top of which laid the large Sky Bison.

Appa's eyes cracked open as the three appeared, and he gave a great yawn. He laboriously got to his feet, eyes half-open and looking very much like he would fall asleep again any moment. But Appa seemed to understand the urgency in the humans' run, as he stood still to allow the three to climb up onto his back.

"I feel like we're just giving up. I hate this." Zuko growled as he bent down from the saddle to pull Katara up. The Waterbender accepted it, scrambling into the saddle before turning back to help Shyu, who was much less experienced with giant flying bison.

"It can't be helped...hopefully you've left an imprint on some of the generals." Katara told him and the two of them both grabbed one of Shyu's arms each and helped pull him up. The Fire Sage glanced around at the palace sadly, shaking his head.

"The state our nation has fallen to...the hunting of the Avatar, the perpetuation of war..." Shyu mumbled with disappointment. "We can only hope that an end will come to this soon."

Katara climbed over onto Appa's head, patting the Sky Bison under her.

"Sorry for waking you Appa, but we have to get out of here. Yip yip!"

Within minutes they were soaring away from the capital as the sun crested the horizon.

"Let's head northwest- that's where Ozai took his airship fleet. We need to know the results of that battle before we try to rejoin with the others." Zuko suggested, climbing to sit by Katara's side. The Waterbender grimaced and nodded, understanding what Zuko was getting at. There might not be any "others" left to rejoin with, depending if Sokka, Toph, and Suki had been successful in stopping Ozai's plans.

* * *

Don't worry Zuko and Katara. If nothing else, you've left Ozai with nothing short of a pure unmitigated political disaster to come home to. He's going to _love_ finding out how everyone captured during the day of Black Sun as well as the Kyoshi warriors have been released and are now roaming around the Fire Nation.

I nearly made Zuko be the one to go steer Appa at the end until I got to the point just before takeoff. And for some reason, just the image of him going "Appa, Yip yip!" blew my mind so I quickly went back and made Katara do it instead. I dunno, it just seemed so weird to me for some reason.

Interpret pairings however you want guys, though now that I think about it, I should mention that I always support the most canon pairing. Which means AangxKatara, SokkaxSuki, ZukoxMai and Toph's unpaired.

For the two of you who have reviewed, thank you guys so much. Though I tell myself that I write solely for my own fun and entertainment, knowing that others appreciate my writing feels really awesome.


	3. Roku: Aid

Oh gods panic panic panic panic. I chose a really _really_ bad time to start a fanfiction. National novel Writing Month starts in 3 days and I still have 2 or 3 chapters left of this to write. I don't want to break my winning streak, but I also want to finish this fic while Avatar is still fresh on my mind.

And don't worry about me doing this for NaNo, nooo. I won't subject my readers to the quality of NaNo works. I'll figured something out...hopefully.

* * *

Shyu sat cross-legged in the middle of the saddle. Zuko sat at Appa's head, steering them in the right course and while Katara was at the edge of the saddle, resting her arms on the side and staring out at the clouds.

"I still can't figure out how the Avatar could simply vanish." Shyu sighed, wracking his brain for answers. The fact that Aang had simply disappeared, and that a Shirshu seemed unable to detect him in this world...it was certainly troubling. "I wish I had my grandfather's wisdom. I'm afraid information on the Avatar had disappeared over the years, even within the Fire Sages."

Katara leaned back from her position and turned to look at Shyu.

"There has to be some way. Is there anywhere you know of where we can research this?" Katara asked, a hint of pleading in her voice. They had to find Aang, he was their best hopes of ending this war, and she...she couldn't lose him. Not again, _never_ again. The grief and the pain when Aang had been shot down by Azula, the weeks of daring to hope and the crushing realization he might not wake up...no, she couldn't go through that again.

"We could always try to contact Avatar Roku; as Aang's spirit guide he would know more about where he is than anyone else. The problem is..." Shyu began, and then hesitated at the hopeful look on Katara's face. "Well, there are three places strongly connected to Roku. Only one of them would be strong enough for me to achieve a connection, and only on a Solstice. And it's in the Capital."

Katara's shoulder drooped, and she looked away, back to stare into the clouds. Shyu crawled forward to her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for mentioning it." He mumbled, realizing he had given her hope and then crushed it. He had been thinking aloud, not realizing what the effects of his words would be.

"No, don't be. It's an option open to us if we can't solve this before the Winter Solstice." Katara told him, giving a faint smile to reassure him that she was Okay. Shyu saw through it of course, but chose not to say anything.

Appa groaned loudly, and with a flick of his tail angled himself upwards, and they were suddenly in a cloud. Both Shyu and Katara grabbed onto the side of the saddle tightly, and they heard Zuko's surprised cry. They could only imagine him hanging onto the reins for dear life, because with all the fog about them they could barely see his silhouette.

"What's going on?" Katara asked, raising her voice to be heard over the roar of the wind as Appa levelled off.

"I'm not sure!" Zuko cried back, and Katara got to her feet, rushing to the Sky Bison's head beside Zuko. She put one hand on the opening of her waterskin, and the other on the reins to keep her on in case there was any more sudden movement.

"What's wrong Appa?" She asked quietly, and the Sky Bison replied by lowering them down slowly. Eventually they broke through the bottom layer of the cloud, and Katara saw specks of red in the distance. War balloons.

Within seconds they were back in the cloud.

"That...would be my father." Zuko told Katara, a smile spreading over his face. Katara returned it, nodding enthusiastically. If Ozai was returning in War Balloons, then that means they didn't have their airships. It seems Sokka had succeeded, hopefully before too much damage had been done.

"Good job spotting them Appa." Katara told the sky bison, patting him on the head. "Let's veer aside and pass them by."

Zuko tugged on the reins to do just that as Katara went back to the saddle to tell Shyu the good news.

xXxXxXxXx

They saw the war balloons leave that morning. Suki was up early, working through different routines with a stick. She had been without a proper combat fan for a while now, but that doesn't mean she should allow herself to fall out of practise. Even at the Boiling Rock she had practised in secret whenever she could.

She was the one who spotted the small red dots in the sky, and though she didn't recognize what they were, Sokka certainly did when she woke him up. Crawling out of the tent, his eyes widened when he looked up at the sky.

"War Balloons." He told her with a sigh. "The Fire Nation soldiers are leaving..." So many of them had survived by the look of it; was Ozai alive up there? Possibly with Aang?

They spent the rest of the morning barely saying anything. Toph was seeping with anger, wanting nothing more than to have had a chance to shoot down those balloons. Though she was too far away to have done anything anyways, she was still angry that Sokka and Suki hadn't woken her up earlier. They didn't wake her up for that reason exactly.

Sokka and Suki did their best to avoid her rage as they took down camp. There really wasn't much to do. Suki made a makeshift spear and did her best to catch breakfast from the water. Toph took down all the structures she had created, and Sokka got to sit there feeling incredibly useless with his broken leg.

After cooking and splitting a single small fish Suki had caught through a sheer accident that involved the Kyoshi Warrior getting completely soaked, the three were ready to set off.

"I would give up everything for Appa to be here right now." Sokka groaned, only five minutes into their hike. They followed the shoreline, knowing that there was a river here somewhere that would lead them to the capital. The riverbed was shallow, the water lazy and slow-moving, and this was key. They couldn't walk through the forest; even though there were few visible flames, the forest radiated heat from hidden fires, smothered under all the debris. They'd have to travel in the river if they didn't want to be roasted alive as they walked. It'll be slow going, but it's all they can do.

Suki had offered to carry Sokka, but he had outright refused. Suki didn't push it, although she had a knowing smile on her face. Sokka's pride made him...stubborn, so she let it be. So they hobbled along slowly, with the young man trying his best -and failing- at not slowing the group down.

Suki and Toph stopped as the beach before them opened up into a tributary, the river pouring out into the sea here. The water was only a trickle, knee-deep at most in the centre. It was coloured black from soot. The Kyoshi warrior turned back to see Sokka awkwardly hobbling forward, panting for breath. Well, it's probably been long enough; he's learned his lesson.

As Sokka got near, Suki approached him.

"Hey there tough guy, how're you doing?" She asked with a teasing grin.

"Fine." Sokka grunted, trying to keep a straight face, trying his best not to making his heavy panting obvious. She moved in suddenly, and before he could fully react, she had him on her back.

"H-hey!" was all he offered as the Kyoshi warrior sprinted back to Toph, barely slowed by the extra weight. He gave in, leaning in against her as he grumbled about making a girl carry him, but Suki could hear the gratitude in his voice.

"I love you too Sokka." She giggled as a response.

"Took you two long enough." Toph grumbled, already ankle-deep in water. They began their long journey up the river.

xXxXxXxXx

It started raining around noon, just as they reached the forest. It came pouring down, soaking them all down to the bone before Katara stepped in to dry them all off and keep the rain off them. Appa looked down at the forest, and let out a loud, tired groan. They continued to fly over it, his passengers taking in the damage.

The forest under them was smoking and steaming as the heavy rain battled the heat of the fires. Katara winced at the sight of blackened trees and the acrid smell of soot. Why would Ozai execute such meaningless destruction...? That monster had to be stopped.

Under them Appa suddenly angled himself downwards towards the trees until his feet barely brushed against the topmost branches. He roared, a sound so loud his passengers covered their ears. Without Katara's control the rain momentarily fell down onto the three again before the Waterbender quickly pushed it all away.

"Appa?" Katara yelled above the sound of the rain and the wind. She was answered a moment later by Zuko's surprised cry.

"Gyaaahh! Geitoferme!" He cried out in surprise as something swooped up from the forest in front of them and collided with him. There was now a mass of white fur clinging to his face, and the Firebender let go of the reins to try and pry the thing off. It had claws though, and clung on tightly as if its life depended on it.

"Zuko!" Katara once again let go of her hold on the water and rushed to Appa's head, grabbing Zuko by the shoulder before he could fall off. Shyu was clinging to the side of the saddle fearfully, having no idea what was going on.

Katara grabbed the small furry creature around the waist with a hand and finally managed to pull it off, leaving small claw marks on either side of a very flustered Zuko's face. It was then that katara recognized the mass of sodden fur.

"Momo?" The flying lemur stared up at Katara with wide fearful eyes and the Waterbender let go of Zuko, holding Momo out at arm's length. He was completely soaked, his fur singed in places, and the poor thing looked absolutely miserable.

"Momo? Didn't he disappear with Aang?" Zuko asked, rubbing his new scratches. Katara looked down to Zuko, nodding.

"That means...Aang's back!" She exclaimed, a wide grin breaking out over her face for as long as it took for the implications to hit her. By the state of Momo, he had been here for quite a while now, probably little under a day. He had been here during attack. That means Aang had been here as well. So what had happened to him?

"You're Okay now Momo, let's get you dried up." She told the Lemur soothingly, holding it close and stroking his head and ears. Momo curled up against her, and she could feel him shaking. She climbed back into the saddle, with a gesture re-diverted the rain around them in a globe, and drew the water out of Momo's fur and everyone's clothing.

xXxXxXxXx

Well, their day just went from slow and painful to completely miserable.

All three of them were soaked to the bone, and though none of them admitted it, they were freezing. The rain was doing a good job at putting out the fire finally though, and they could finally walk safely along the shores of the river.

"Maybe we should find some shelter." Sokka piped up, shivering from the cold as he clung to Suki's back.

"What are you complaining about, Ponytails? You're not even walking." Toph called out, which was responded by an angry rebuttal, something about a Warrior's Wolf Tail. Sokka stopped when he saw that Toph wasn't listening, and contented himself with muttering angrily under his breath.

"I like your ponytail Sokka, it's cute." Suki told him, tilting her head to look up at him with a smile. Sokka's muttering stopped, and he grinned proudly in response.

Toph shook her head as she felt the change; men were weird. And to think she had once thought she had a _crush_ on this guy.

Well, it seems the original topic was completely forgotten. While Toph didn't exactly enjoy being soaked, especially as her feet was becoming covered with dirt and grime, she knew they had to make as much distance as they can. Ba Sing Se was a long way off, and if they didn't want to take months to get there, they had to find civilization. Hopefully they'll eventually come across some sort of village by the river.

"Hey, Suki, wait, stop for a moment." Sokka called out a little while later, having caught a glimpse of something at the edge of his vision. Suki stopped, looking over at where Sokka was pointing, a fallen tree across the river. Something metallic was caught in its branches, and it looked suspiciously like...

"Boomerang! I knew I'd find you again!" He cried out excitedly, slipping off of Suki's back to hobble to the river's edge. The Kyoshi warrior quickly stepped forward and grabbed him before he would jump into the water like an idiot. She ran down the length of the fallen tree herself, moving with the speed and grace as if she were simply sprinting over flat ground. Grabbing onto a branch, she swung herself down to grab the boomerang by the handle and landed back onto the trunk of the fallen tree.

It was that moment that something large flew overhead, just above the trees. Suki looked up when the rain was suddenly blocked above her to see something huge, fluffy, six-legged...

"Appa!" Suki cried out; it wasn't that hard to recognize who the giant 10-tonne flying bison was. "Down here!" Suki yelled, waving her arms above her head in order to catch his, and his rider's, attention. She sprinted back to solid ground as Appa groaned and turned around, angling down to land in the middle of the shallow stream with a loud splash, the only open space he had. He made his way slowly to shore, coming to a rest right at the tree line.

A figure hopped off Appa's back, using his tail as a bridge to land. It was Katara. Suki slung Sokka's arm across her shoulder to support him and helped him hobble over to his sister.

"You're Okay!" Katara cried, and Suki stepped out of the way as the Waterbender wrapped Sokka in a tight hug. Overbalanced from the sudden momentum, his arms flailed wildly in an attempt to keep his balance.

"Ahck- yes Katara, can you please- thank you." He said as she let go, taking a step back. Her hands were still on his shoulders. She turned to examine their group, her smile slowly fading.

"Aang's...not with you?" She asked tentatively, afraid of the answer. When Suki and Sokka both turned their gazes down to the ground, she let go of her brother, eyes widening in horror. When she had seen Suki, she had been hoping, praying, that Aang had been with them.

"What happened to him?" She asked fearfully, and started when someone laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's get onto Appa first. Your friends look like they need the rest." Shyu murmured, and Katara took a deep calming breath, nodding. They were soaking wet, muddy, and weary-looking. Even Toph. Several minutes later, the reunited group were huddled on Appa's back as Katara dried them off and tended to Sokka's broken leg.

"Then he came for us. He could _fly_, by _shooting fire out of his feet_. Aang couldn't reach us. We tried to fight Ozai off, but we couldn't do much. Me and Suki couldn't reach him, and Toph couldn't see him. Then Aang created this really big wind. It knocked Ozai off, and blew us out over the Ocean. That was the last we saw of him." Sokka finished, shaking his head. "We saw the War Balloons leave this morning. It had been a losing fight, so we think they have him. He would have come to find us otherwise."

There was silence in the group as Katara and Zuko digested the information. Shyu hung his head sadly, praying under his breath.

"Can we be certain that they had captured him? What if Ozai had-" Zuko began, but was interrupted by a very irate Toph punching him hard in the arm, sending him crashing into Sokka, who in turn toppled into Suki's lap.

"Think before you speak, idiot." Toph scowled. "They can't afford to kill him. Aang told me that when Zhao captured him, they kept him alive because otherwise they'd have to hunt the Avatar down all over again."

Zuko had very quickly extracted himself from the embarrassing tangle, though Sokka and Suki seemed fine where they were. The Firebender cleared his throat, doing his best to act as if nothing had happened though he glared daggers at Toph.

"Sorry. I just thought that it's best if we planned for the worst." He mumbled. Katara drew the water off of Sokka's leg, having done all she could on the torn muscles, nerves and blood vessels. She could do nothing for the fracture itself, which will have to heal on its own.

"Hey, at least we stopped Ozai from burning the world down, that's got to count for something. And as long as they keep Aang alive, we have a chance to save him." Sokka piped up, feeling that the group really needed some sort of positive thinking. Katara sent her water back into the Waterskin, nodding absently.

It seemed like such an empty comfort. If Aang is alive...no, Aang _is_ alive...he'd be kept by the Fire Nation. The image of Aang in chains tore at her heart.

"So...how did your mission go?" Sokka asked. Zuko glanced over at Katara.

"Um...I'll tell them. Why don't you go and steer Appa for a while?" He told her, seeing her state of mind written all over her face and posture. She nodded and wordless got up.

xXxXxXxXx

"Hey there little guy. Do you live here?"

The ratroach looked up at Aang for only a brief moment before ignoring him and going back to his business of collecting crumbs of food from the ground. It was an odd looking creature, with a hard black shell, a long worm-like tail, and a long snout ending with a sensitive nose from which several whiskers sprouted. It scurried around on six furry legs.

"I thought so. It doesn't seem a very nice place to stay though." He told the creature, who continued to ignore him. With a great sigh, Aang looked up at the locked and bolted door on the other side of his cell. The large room was made almost entirely of metal, not surprisingly. Dim torches burned on either side of the door, much too far away for Aang to manipulate with Firebending in his situation.

Two pillars stood in the middle of the room, slightly elevated above the ground. It was between these two pillars that Aang was chained, his arms pulled towards the pillars and his ankles bound to the ground. It was very similar to how he was held in the PoHuai fortress when he had been captured by Zhao. He could barely move, and was far from any bending stances he knew of, pretty much rendering him incapable of Bending _anything_. He could manage some minor Airbending with his breath, but he couldn't think of how that'll help him.

They had arrived at the capital late in the afternoon. Ozai had been greeted immediately with bad news, much to Aang's amusement. Reports of Fire Nation Soldiers retreating, peace treaty talks being made between Fire and Earth generals, War Prisoners released, Azula's mental breakdown...all because Zuko had somehow managed to take control for a day. He and Katara had gotten away safely too! Ozai had left immediately to take care of the chaos, leaving the soldiers to take Aang to the prison near the palace. For the weary and beleaguered boy, such news raised his spirits, especially news that Katara was fine. And to top it all off, with Ozai so busy, he had better things to do than to come down here and taunt his prisoner. Considering the situation, it was like New Years had come early!

Other than the initial arrival to the capital, things have been uneventful. With everything seemingly taken cared of except his own situation, he felt rather calm. Of course there was the nagging anxiety biting at the edge of his mind, worry for the safety of his friends as well as the hopelessness of his own situation, but his biggest mental enemy for the good part was boredom. Aang was not the type of kid to stay still, and being confined to one position for hours _sucked_.

The ratroach suddenly stiffened, raising its nose to sniff at the air before it glanced over at the door briefly. Then in a flash it scurried past and behind Aang, presumably to some hole in the metal wall. Aang tensed, staring at the door as he heard it being unlocked. A moment later it creaked open, and a figure stepped in, a bag slung over his shoulder.

It was the medic.

"I see yer still awake." He commented tiredly. "Seems like your friends really did a number on the Phoenix King's plans."

The man stepped forward, the door shut behind him by some guards. He dropped his bag down beside Aang and stretched, his bones audibly cracking. Now that he was fully awake and alert, Aang took note of the man's appearance. He seemed quite old, his hair, sideburns and beard showing significant signs of ageing, though amongst the grey were scattered strands of black. His face was weathered and wrinkled, and his dark eyes were warm but...there was a sadness to them.

"So how're ya holdin' up?" He asked, rummaging through his bag to take out his supplies. He mumbled angrily under his breath the entire time, though Aang could only catch a few words. Something about Ozai and the wounded.

"Uh, well...I've been better I guess." Aang responded. The man straightened back up, now holding a Waterskin and a small sealed bottle.

"I can imagine." He chuckled, opening the bottle to dump out two small white pills. Aang was reluctant to take them at first, being so different from the tradition forms of medicine he was used to, but the man made it clear in the end that it wasn't his choice.

"Ugghh, it tastes like...sea prunes!" Aang complained; he had not expected the liquid in the Waterskin to be some form of medicinal tea. And it _did not_ taste pleasant. The man chuckled, putting away the medicine.

"It's ta stop anything' from getting infected. Surprised that hole in yer shoulder's still fine. Yer a tough kid, Avatar." He told Aang, examining his splint to ensure it was still firmly in place, though Aang hasn't exactly been active enough to jostle it. "Ya know, I've never caught yer name kid. 'less you prefer being called Avatar? Just doesn't seem ta roll off the tongue very well."

"Ah, well, you can call me Aang." He replied, happy to start off what seems like an actual conversation. He was definitely more interesting than the ratroach.

"Aang...interestin' name. Kinda silly soundin' if ya ask me." The man commented, stepping back.

"Well, it's not exactly a common name, but it's not totally unique. There was this one Aang I knew who lived in the Northern Air Temple, but I only met him once three years ago- well, actually...a hundred and three I guess, but-" Aang replied, building in momentum and enthusiasm until the medic cut him off.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down kid. I don't need yer life's story. Just asked fer a name for goodness sakes." The man laughed, a warm genuine laugh that reached his eyes, erasing the earlier weariness and sadness.

"Ah, sorry." Aang apologized with a grin. "Say, what's your name? I don't think you've told me."

"The name's Roku. I-"

"Hey! I know a Roku!" Aang exclaimed excitedly, cutting the man off. Roku nodded.

"I suspect ya do. It's not commonplace anymore, but Avatar names used ta be pretty popular." He explained, and bent over slowly to pick up his bag. He moved deliberately and stiffly, presumably from ageing joints. "Well, you seem ta be doin' fine, so I'm gonna go back to the infirmary."

He held the bag with one hand, and rummaged through it with the other.

"Ya want anythin' ta help ya sleep kid?"

Aang, more than a little disappointed that Roku was leaving, shook his head. Oh no, he was avoiding any more medicine if he could avoid it. The aftertaste from that last bit was still lingering unpleasantly in his mouth.

"No thanks."

"Alright then. See ya tomorrow mornin' Aang. I'll be bringin' breakfast, and we'll see if yer bandages need any changin'." Roku told him, turning and waving goodbye over his shoulder.

"Good night Roku."

Aang watched as the medic left and heard the door being bolted and locked. He sighed, watching as the ratroach suddenly reentered his vision, sniffing around where Roku had placed his bag earlier.

"Sorry little guy, he didn't bring any food." He told the small creature, and then stared back up at the door, wishing he wasn't so alone. The room seemed so much emptier now than before after Roku's presence.

Wait. He wasn't alone, he was never alone.

"Why didn't I think of this earlier?" Aang mused out loud. Closing his eyes, he slowly calmed down his breathing to a slow regular rhythm. It took him longer to enter the peaceful state of mind needed, unable to sit and take a comfortable posture, but eventually he reached it.

He suddenly stood in front of his corporeal body, his astral one transparent and blue. He wore the outfit he had left the Southern Air Temple with, whole and undamaged. And in a state where he appeared as he made himself to be, no painful scar marked his back and foot. Before him stood the image of Roku- _Avatar_ Roku.

"Roku, I need help." Aang told his past life, looking back to indicate his body chained to the pillars. The old Avatar nodded sadly.

"Yes, things have not worked out for the best. But as long as you are alive, you still have a chance." Roku told the Airbender.

"What can I do? I can barely bend." Aang asked, a hint of frustration seeping into his voice. He had done well to keep himself calm up until now, partly because he had refused to give Ozai the satisfaction, and partly because it was just easier to not think about it.

"Is that what you truly believe?" Roku asked calmly, and Aang hesitated before nodding.

"I can't move, and I'm nowhere near a good Bending stance." He mumbled, knowing that it wasn't the answer Roku was looking for. But he couldn't think of what the older Avatar was hinting at.

"And that is where you are wrong. Think carefully." Roku replied patiently. Aang crossed his arms, tapping a foot as he thought hard, wishing that he would just tell him the answer already.

"Well, I guess there's Lightning redirection..." Aang finally said tentatively, recalling the lesson Zuko had given him. It had required a wide, solid stance, and the redirection was done with outstretched arms, ending with two fingers to channel the energy. A stance he was chained into. He had no clue how that would help him though, because he doubted anyone was shooting lightning at him anytime soon.

Roku, however, nodded.

"Yes. Lightning Redirection is heavily based off of Waterbending Philosophy, but it parallels an ancient Firebending Technique. It is simple in principle, but it is taxing on the body, especially to the extent you must successfully perform it if you are to escape." Roku began.

"You have a plan?" Aang asked, genuinely surprised. The young boy was often unsure of how involved Roku was in his life, and felt ashamed that he seemed to have already figured something out while Aang himself had barely started to come up with a means of escape. Maybe he should stop relying on Sokka to come up with the plans.

Roku nodded and moved down into a sitting position, gesturing for Aang to do the same. The young Avatar readily complied, moving down to sit cross-legged across from his elder.

"The first thing you must do is recover. You are hurt and in no condition to fight. But you must not wait too long. Your strength will be worn away the longer you stay here, and Ozai will try to break you. Stay strong, and prepare." Roku told Aang, and he nodded grimly in understanding. "In two weeks time, the Mid-Autumn Festival will come around, and it will be your best chance. The Full Moon will provide you, a Waterbender, an advantage you desperately need."

"I'm ready Avatar Roku." Aang announced, and Roku nodded in agreement.

"The technique is simply the movement of preexisting energy, Heat Redirection if you will. Unlike Negative Energy, Lightning, it will not flow naturally with your own chi. You must grab it and channel it forcibly, especially if you are moving it against its natural tendency; heat moves from hot to cold. This takes energy and concentration, and could be extremely dangerous if you..."

* * *

Yay Physics lessons. Writing both parts of this chapter was a pain.

This took me a long time to write mostly because not much really happens and my mind keeps wandering to more exciting scenes in the future, but all of it is important for tying into the following chapters. So I was forced to write them for the sake of continuity. The next chapter will more than likely be another bridge chapter of me trying to explain what happens in the two weeks, though if I don't get enough down for that I can probably get to writing the scene for the Mid-autumn festival.

One of the things that appealed to me the most about Avatar is that as someone who grew up in China, I loved seeing all of the cultural references. I wasn't kidding about the medicinal tea tasting horrible. They all end up tasting the same for some strange reason, no matter what they seem to put in them, and they are...ugghh...you Western Folks have no idea how lucky you are with pills that you can swallow without tasting.

I noticed that this chapter seems to have a much lighter mood than before. In case if anyone cares, I work on this fanfiction during my Spare (a period at school where I don't have class) daily, usually getting roughly 1k written at a time. I apologize if this makes the story feel disconnected, as I do write pieces of this in varying states of emotion, stress, and energy.

AK-47: Nice to know someone agrees with me. I wonder why everyone was so against the idea. I mean, Aang feels uncomfortable with losing control, but that was what they were working at; helping him gain control of the Avatar state. Anyways, thanks for reviewing and I hope I don't disappoint you!


	4. Yue: Equinox

First thing's first, I am going to apologize; I caved in and took this as the first half of my NaNo project. While I will ensure the best quality of writing I can, there is no way I can keep it at my usual level. I also do not have as much time to edit and proofread, so there is likely more spelling/grammar/typo mistakes.

I also apologize for the length of this chapter, a result of me writing in bursts of 3k in order to get a few k ahead early in the game. And if it feels disjointed, please tell me. I had planned for another chapter between the last and this one to explain the small things that happen, but I decided against it. Such a chapter would have been slow and painful to write- I can't afford to have slow and painful during NaNoWriMo.

* * *

Katara leaned against the railings of the balcony, staring up at the sky. The full moon pulsed with power, reverberating within her as a Water Bender. She could feel more than hear Sokka limp up behind her, his crutches making a gentle tap noise with each step, but she started anyways when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Everyone's waiting for you." He told her, concern in his voice. His sister shrugged his hand off her shoulder, and Sokka came to stand beside her.

"I know it's hard," he began, and Katara turned away from him. "But you can't go on like this. Come, relax, have some fun. The Moon Festival only comes once a year."

How quickly they seemed to have reversed roles.

"It's not the same without him." She whispered, fighting back tears. The last two weeks had been hard on the Waterbender. The Order of the White Lotus's top priority had been to reestablish the Earth Kingdom Goverment and stabilize Ba Sing Se, gathering and organizing its forces. Even now Kuei had been found and was on his way back to reclaim his throne.

Iroh had promised he would do everything he could to bring Aang back, but there was little he _could_ do. They could only confirm he was alive, a small piece of news sent to them by a White Lotus member in the Fire Nation Nobility every week. And that's all they knew of him; the Avatar was being kept under very heavy guard.

Sokka leaned his crutches against the railings and pulled Katara into a tight hug.

"Come on, he'd hate to see you like this. Enjoy yourself, for his sake, for all our sakes." He told her and Katara reluctantly nodded. As the Waterbender pushed herself away and turned to leave, Sokka stared sadly at his little sister's back. He knew there was little he could do for her.

Katara made her way through the empty halls of the palace, her brother following behind, her mind elsewhere.

Now that he was gone, so beyond reach, she couldn't let him go. That night the two had spent together during the Ember Island Play...that scene played over and over again in her mind, twisting her insides with grief.

She had been afraid to love, afraid to love the Avatar, to love a boy two years her junior, when she herself was so young. She had hesitated, and now that she realized she was ready to return that love...she couldn't.

xXxXxXxXx

"Sounds like one heck of a girl." Roku commented, packing up his stuff.

"Yeah..." Aang replied, his mind wandering to Katara. His heart lurched at the mental image, and he longed to see her again. It was a feeling that never really left his these last two hard weeks, through all his preparation with Avatar Roku and hours of practising. The image of her, above all his other friends, was what drove him on.

"I really miss her." He murmured without realizing it. Roku simply chuckled as he headed for the door, shaking his head and murmuring something about "foolish young love".

"I'll see if I can sneak any Moon Cakes ta ya tomorrow. I won't be seeing ya as often now that arm of yours has mended well enough."

"Bye Roku." Aang told the medic as he closed and locked the door behind him. Aang waited for several minutes as outside Roku conversed with the guard for a second before leaving. As everything quieted down, the Avatar took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He'll need all his concentration for this.

_Heat is present in everything around you, even objects that feel cold to you like ice or steel. With enough skill, you can freely move this energy._

Aang calmed himself down, regulating his breathing. Firebending came from the breath, Zuko had taught him. He went through gentle breathing exercises in preparation.

_By channelling it to one spot, you use much less energy than in creating the heat through Firebending. It also gives Firebenders the ability to create an area of coldness, something they often take for granted._

It's now or never.

Grasping his chains with his hands, he began. With each breath he took the heat energy out of the chain in his left hand, channelling it through his arms into the other one.

_You must be quick, or the heat will dissipate, but take too much at once and you will burn yourself inside._

It was hard work. At the start there was little resistance, but as the chain in his left hand began to frost over, the cold biting at his skin and the one in his right hand burned at the touch, pushing the energy against the gradient because more and more tiring work. Hours of practise guided him though, pushed him through to the edge of his endurance. He pushed the heat energy across, careful to not allow it contact with his own body temperature less it wreaked havoc within him.

Several minutes later, Aang came out of his trance and gave a good, solid tug at the chains binding his right wrist, now glowing a bright white-yellow. It gave way slightly, and with a growl he pulled at it harder and the glowing metal parted. The boy stumbled from the sudden release, and brought his hand up in front of him, still dangling a few links. Taking a deep breath, he breathed a strong wind over it, cooling it back down to normal temperatures.

It had worked! Roku had assured him it would, but still, it was a good feeling to see their plans come to fruition. With a large grin he set to work, turning to the chains binding his other wrist. It was extremely cold and covered in a thin layer of frost, the moisture mostly from the boy's own sweating hands. They had been careful to keep the air well-circulated and dry in the room, but Aang didn't need that much water.

_Katara, you're a genius. _He thanked her in his mind as he drew off the sweat that had accumulated on his body during his rather strenuous task of heating the chains. Having a small handful of water now to work with, he quickly slashed at the chain binding his left hand, cutting through the cold and brittle steel. Though he could not see it, he could feel the pull of the Full Moon inside his body, lending him its strength. The steel snapped and finally, both arms were free. _Thanks Yue._

After weeks of being bound to the same position, his muscles were stiff and sore. Working the splint off his arm -he didn't need it any longer, and it was only get in his way- he stretched carefully, testing the full range of his movements.

Several minutes later, his feet were free as well, and a bit of careful precise bending he removed his shackles fully. Now came the tricky bit, the 'getting out of here alive' part. He stiffened when he heard the door rattling, then the sounds of the tumblers. The guard were coming in to check on him, probably as a result of the clanking sounds of the chains.

Aang sprinted to the door, laying himself flat on the side the door will open to. Muscles complained about the motion after such a long period of inactivity, and he prayed silently to himself that they won't cramp up. What a horrible way to end this.

The door swung open a crack as the guard poked his head in, and before he had the chance to register that Aang was no longer there, the Airbender had already forced his way past the guard and shoved the older man in with a strong gust of wind.

The guard fell into the cell, and Aang pulled the door locked behind him before he could get back up. The Airbender looked around, having expected more than the one guard; he usually hears three voices outside when Roku steps out to talk to them.

No matter; the other one was probably allowed to leave to enjoy the festivities. With a heavy sigh -he wished he could see the Mid-Autumn festival, the Fire Nation always knew how to enjoy themselves- Aang stopped to stretch as the guard banged on the door behind him, yelling at him. He felt the need to keep moving, to get away from here as fast as possible, but Roku had warned him about going too quickly. He had to give his muscles time to recuperate, or they won't be able to function.

He mentally went back to the day he had been taken down to the complex, going over the route that would lead him outside. As long as he tried to keep some semblance of stealth, he should be able to get out relatively- oh geez.

"Hey! You, what are y-!" A guard cried out, skidding across a corner into the corridor that ended in Aang's cell. Probably drawn to the sound of the guard behind Aang banging and screaming at the door. His sentence was very quickly cut off as Aang brought forth a powerful wind, knocking the man back into the wall behind him. The Airbender was at his position within seconds, snatching the spear from his limp hands. The guard was out cold and Aang winced in sympathy; he hadn't meant to do it so hard.

"Sorry!" He told the unconscious guard, snapping off the end of the spear so that he was left with a staff. And with that he sprinted down the hall, pushing himself along at high speeds with Airbending.

xXxXxXxXx

The ballroom was packed full, though Katara had no trouble making her way through the crowd. She wore a white dress with blue markings, standing out amongst the sea of earthy greens, yellows and browns. They parted for her, recognizing her as an ally of the White Lotus, the men who had given them their freedom.

Zhongqiujie in the Earth Kingdom was a celebration of the autumn harvest, of taking in the year's crops and preparing for winter. Amongst the nobility though, it was simply a reason to celebrate, and with the liberation of Ba Sing Se there was much to be happy about. For those who had been caught in the Dai Li's webs, unaware of the war outside, the return to normality -somewhat- had been a relief.

For Katara, who would have normally enjoyed such festivities, she felt annoyed at the carefree partygoers all around her. The Moon Festival as it was called in the Water tribes was a day to honour the Moon, the original Waterbender, on the day it is the fullest, the most beautiful. Their celebrations are much more subdued, though it was still a happy and joyous day when families gathered together, sharing meals and stories. To Katara, the atmosphere seemed..._wrong_. And it wasn't simply just the difference in customs; as these people enjoyed themselves, Aang was still missing and the war still raged.

"There you are!" Someone called, and Katara started when someone grabbed at her sleeves. The Waterbender turned to see Yuki wearing a colourful, almost glittery pair of red pants with yellow tassells down the side. She wore a simple short-sleeved black shirt above it.

"And where's Sokka?" She demanded, answered a second later as there was a loud crash behind them followed by Sokka's painful yell. The crowd parted as both of the girls rushed to the scene, to find the young warrior sprawled on the ground along with one of the servants, tea and mooncakes covering the floor. Suki went to retrieve Sokka's crutches while Katara hurriedly helped the servant to her feet. She dried the both of them off where they had been splashed with the hot tea, but thankfully the thick aumtumn clothing had stopped either of them from getting burned.

Sokka apologized profusely as the servant waved it off and left to get some people in to clean the floor.

"Misfortune brought upon yourself eh?" Suki giggled, and Sokka mumbled angrily as the Kyoshi warrior lead him and Katara through the crowd, out the palace and onto the streets.

"Come on, I don't want either of you to miss this. I have been practising for days to get it right."

xXxXxXxXx

Aang skidded to a stop, pausing as he considered the hallway. The floor and walls were coated in steel, but he could feel the earth just beneath. On either side of the hallway were doors, wooden doors unlike the reinforced metals ones nearer to his own cell. It didn't look familiar, and he knew he had made the wrong turn somewhere.

There were people in these rooms; he could feel it. He groaned inwardly as one of the doors opened, and conversation drifted out...

"-Happy Mid-Autumn. Say hello to your son for me, he's turning five this year?"

"Ah yes. Too bad you're so busy, I heard there's an amazing group of Firebenders doing the Dragon Dance this year."

"Work is work. I'm being paid well at least; they better, if they expect me to watch over that Avatar kid. All four elements! I've never had to be so tight about security before!"

Aang flattened himself against the wall as the two men said their goodbyes and one left, taking off his Fire Army helmet. Running a hand through his hair, he didn't seem to notice Aang as he turned down the hall and walked away from the Airbender.

Aang sighed in relief, unsticking himself to the wall and hurrying after the man, doing his best to stay quiet. Maybe this man could lead him out...? That kind of wishful thinking was quickly gone as he heard a door open unexpectedly behind him.

"Hey Cheng! You forgot your- oh damn." The man the room cried out. As Cheng -the man he was following- turned at his friend's curious words, Aang swung his staff in his direction, blowing the man off his feet.

"Guards! The Avatar has escaped!" The man behind him cried out, and Aang sighed as he ran past the stunned form of Cheng on the ground. So much for 'some semblance of stealth'. He sprinted as fast as he could, though he tired quickly. He wasn't in the best of shape after two weeks in a high security Fire Nation cell.

Ahead of him the corridor split off into a T-intersection, and he quickly had to remember the right way. When they had come down here, they had taken a right, so he should be going down the right corridor- wait, no, left! If it had been right this way and then it was left back- ah, too late.

Aang sprinted down the wrong turn even as his head registered this, and he skidded to a stop, turning to see several soldiers blocking off the intersection behind him. He had to make a decision from here; continue in this direction or try to fight his way back out the right way.

A veritable army was starting to gather in the hallway, charging towards him, and the Avatar made his decision. Clenching both hands onto his makeshift staff, he slammed it straight down towards the ground. The rock beneath the metal responded, shooting up, breaking through its metal coating as a solid wall, sealing off the corridor. Behind him the soldiers yelled angrily, slamming against the stone wall.

"Bye!" Aang waved at them, though they couldn't see him through the rock, and the Avatar was off again. He really should have done that earlier. Two weeks ago he would have thought of that immediately; perhaps too long without using it had reduced his reflexively problem-solving with bending? He hoped that if this was the case it was not too severe.

xXxXxXxXx

The streets were crowded, bustling with activity. Vendors yelled out their wares at the side of the street, and before they had even reached their destination, Katara, Suki, and Sokka were each working through a handful of barbecued lamb sticks. Kids ran past them with sparklers, and the sky was filled with fireworks from several independent shows. The streets were alight with lanterns, strung across the street from building to building. Music played loudly from street side performers, crowds gathered around to listen, as well as to watch the colourful array of other shows. In the air sky lanterns drifted, kept aloft by the hot air created by the candles. Sokka spent a good time explaining how the mechanist had designed the war balloons off Sky Lanterns.

Katara allowed herself to relax during this time, trying to simply enjoy the sights and the atmosphere. This really wasn't the time to sulk, and she worked at untying the knot of grief in her heart. Sokka and Suki, well aware of this, did all they could to help her keep her mind off of Aang.

Before them the street entered a large circular plaza, in the middle of which was a large fountain depicting the statue of a a large beautiful bird- the Phoenix. A large circle was roped off around the plaza, and a crowd had gathered. Suki pushed her way through, jumping over the rope and holding it up for Sokka and Katara to walk under.

In the circle was arrayed varying group of people, most of whom were dressed in a similar style to Suki's pants; red with golden tassells. A group off to the side had various instruments, large drums, cymbals, and a single large gong. Various benders and acrobats stood around the fountain, stretching and preparing themselves for the show ahead.

Three people rushed to meet them, all girls about Suki's age.

"You ready?" One of them asked, and Suki nodded with a big grin.

"Of course!" Suki replied, pumping a fist into the air.

"Are these...?" Katara began to ask, and Sokka nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, Kyoshi warriors." The young man replied happily. The war prisoners Katara and Zuko had set free had stuck together and immediately hijacked a boat when they heard Ozai had taken control again. They had only arrived a few days ago, and it had certainly been a great day. It was good to finally meet Bato and the other Southern Water warriors again, as well as all their other friends, including the Kyoshi warriors.

"Well look who finally showed up." A grumpy voice rose up behind them, and Katara turned to see Toph right behind them, behind the rope, arms crossed. She was in her normal Earth Kingdom attire, having not bothered to dress up.

"Hey Toph! You come to see us perform?" Suki asked, and the young Earthbender shrugged.

"Nothing better to do, though watching the old men try to get some sake into Iroh was amusing." She explained. The young girl had bonded with the amiable old man quite well over the past weeks.

"Well then, the show's about to start." Suki told them. "I'm going to go prepare."

Katara helped Sokka back across the rope so that they wouldn't get in the way once the performance began. Toph stood beside them silently as they watched the four Kyoshi warriors split into two pairs, each going to what looked like a large pile of shiny and fur on the ground.

"Katara, relax." The young Earthbender told the Waterbender, and Katara looked down at the blind girl. "You're so tense, I can feel it. Don't worry so much, we'll get him back."

Katara nodded gratefully.

xXxXxXxXx

Aang stopped at the barred metal door that ended the corridor. He tried the handle and it was, of course, locked. Swearing to himself that if he ever saw Toph again he was going to beg her to teach him Metalbending, the Avatar took several steps back. A large chunk of stone ripped itself out of the ground and flew forward at the door. It groaned in protest, denting slightly. A few more tries later, the door finally fell off its hinges, landing with a thud on the ground. Aang winced at the loud banging sound with each strike.

He dropped the rock and sprinted through, where a set of staircase lead up behind the broken door. And- yes!

At the top of the stairs was an open doorway, and Aang found himself in long hallway. All around him the structure was made of wood, the earth just beneath it. To his left were open windows, and he eagerly jumped through, landing on the outside.

It was a chilly night, and Aang wore only a light layer of clothing. He barely noticed the cold though as he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed a slight breeze. To feel fresh, flowing air again! He was beside himself with joy at the sensation, and couldn't help but allow his mouth to widen into a wide silly grin.

He didn't allow himself too much time to simply do nothing though. He examined his surroundings. Behind him, the building he just came out of was quite large but not ornate. Possibly the guard barracks? Buildings dotted the area, spotlights perched on vantage points. Aang spotted the building he had been taken through on the way here -it kinda looked like a tall rounded cone- and oriented his mental map of the Fire Nation Capital with it. The entire complex was surrounded by a thick concrete wall, not unlike the ones found at the PoHuai fortress.

There was a rather loud alarm screeching throughout the entire complex, probably as a response to his escape. The searchlights worked back and forth through the complex, with soldiers and guards streaming around, screaming orders. And above everything else was the bright sparkles and loud bangs of firework above, as the nobility celebrated Mid-Autumn unaware of what was going in in the prison.

Well, this'll be an interesting challenge.

Aang headed along the wall of the building he had left, flattening himself against it as any searchlights came near. Heart pounding in his chest, he carefully made his way towards the nearest wall of the prison, preparing himself for the mad dash ahead.

As Aang approached the corner of the building, he could feel soldiers approaching just around it. The Airbender quickly turned to the wall, hopping up to grab the lip of the opening of a window and slipping in just as outside guards passed.

He waited there, sitting just under the window until the sound and vibrations of footsteps faded away. Aang got his feet and got back out of the window, landing solidly on the dry dirt outside. Eyeing the nearest wall, Aang made a fast sprint towards it, pushing himself along with a strong wind.

Sticking his makeshift staff under his belt, Aang brought his two hands together and formed a ball of air, and just as he reached the wall he hopped on top of it, using the semi-solid sphere to carry himself up. It dissipated fast under him, and he hopped to his feet for the last few meters, taking his staff out as he ran up the last bit, grabbing on to the edge of the portcullis with a hand before his momentum ran out. He flipped over it, landing firmly on his feet.

"Aang?" A surprised man gasped, stumbling back a few steps as he dropped his things. It was Roku.

xXxXxXxXx

Each pair of Kyoshi warriors held up the piles of fur and deftly slipped under. It was a large lion, made of red silk and covered in furry tassells of gold. Its large eyes blinked rapidly, a red sash around its horn twisting and twirling as the show began. The musicians started, a strong and lively beat of the drums empathized by the constant ring of cymbals, all kept on beat by the rhythmic sound of the gong.

The Lion Dance required much skill and practise to perform, and the Kyoshi warriors pulled it off expertly. As they danced around the fountain, doing amazing feats of acrobatics that made the crowd roar with approval, performers of all kinds filled in the gaps, dancing and juggling and performing their best.

A Waterbender in their midst, an emissary sent by the Northern water tribe, worked with the water in the fountain, creating a beautiful display of skill.

Sokka yelped when the Waterbender suddenly stopped, thrusting his arms out to send a stream of water in their general direction. Katara caught it easily, holding it in the air before her. The other Waterbender beckoned for her to join him. She hesitated, but Toph elbowed her hard.

"Come on Sugar Queen, go show them what you're made of."

With a hesitant smile Katara hopped over the rope and joined the other Waterbender.

xXxXxXxXx

Roku dropped the rest of his bags, struggling to unsheathe a small dagger. He stood defiantly before the small boy, who seemed unsure of what to do.

"What are you doing here?" was all Aang managed to ask.

"I _work_ here. I'm sorry Aang, but I can't let ya get away." Roku told him grimly, and glanced down quickly at his Waterskin. Aang looked past him to the other side of the wall, beyond which was the rest of the Capital city, set in the crater of a long-inactive volcano. Once he got beyond this wall, he was free. There was no one around except the old medic to stop him.

Roku's waterskin burst as water flew out of it. Roku reacted immediately, dodging as the water flew at him and froze to the ground. Aang unfroze the water and brought it back up, glancing past Roku to the wall behind him, estimating the jump. He hadn't expected the old man to be so agile.

"I don't want to fight you Roku." Aang told the man who had become something of a friend over the past weeks.

"What are you holdin' back fer boy?" The man showed no fear, eyeing the water carefully as it bobbed in the air between them. "Don't think I'll be lettin' ya go this easily."

With some reluctance in his actions Aang shot the water forward and grabbed his staff with both hands, running forward. The water knocked the old man back, freezing around him to restrict his movement, and Aang jumped up over him, bringing the staff above him, intending to twirl it to slow his descent down the other side.

Somehow, impossibly, he felt a hand grab him around the ankle, pulling him down. He had been almost over the edge, and the unexpected weight caused him to crash downwards into the portcullis. He landed on his feet, and rolled inwards back onto the wall to break the grip.

As Aang got back to his feet he saw Roku roll and jump to a standing position. The ice peeled itself off the old man, turning into water, and the Avatar watched with disbelief as Roku gathered the water with the speed and skill of a Waterbending master. It flew at him before he had realized what was happening, drenching him and sending him flying onto his back, his makeshift staff flying out of his hand.

There was much more water than there had been in the Waterskin. Aang could almost see Roku pulling moisture out of the air and adding it to his attack. The water froze thickly all around him, holding him down.

"The Full Moon doesn't work just to yer advantage." Roku announced grimly, exhaling deeply as a completion of the Waterbending technique.

"You're a Waterbender?" Aang gawked, struggling against the ice. It would only take him a second, if he could only just distract Roku-

"Not so unusual; the four nations once lived t'gether in harmony. My grandmother was water tribe." Roku replied, bringing a hand forward and tightening his fist, the two fighting for control over the ice. Aang was clearly winning on that front, being much more powerful, but though it only took seconds, it was clearly too much time.

Just as the water flowed free and Aang hopped to his feet, Roku threw a small vial onto the ground, smashing and spilling its contents. He drew the clear liquid up as Aang dashed for the side of the wall, and he flung the small mass of water, long and needle-sharp. Aang skidded to a stop, leaning back to avoid it. He drew his arm back a little too late, and the liquid drew a thin line through the fabric of his sleeve and across his skin as it flew by. Aang wasn't sure what that had been, but he sighed in relief as he watched it go harmlessly by and reversed his momentum with a gust of wind to bring him forward again.

At least, that was his intention. Instead, his muscles ignored his command. His legs gave way and he feel down towards the ground, barely padding his fall with his arms. He couldn't move; he was paralysed.

Roku walked up to him, calling back the small blob of colourless liquid, lowering it down to the thin line of blood he had drawn across Aang's arm, allowing it to pool around the new wound even as Aang felt control flood back into his muscles, allowing him to stir. But as the unknown liquid entered his bloodstream again, that control very quickly fled him.

"Shirshu saliva. Incredibly hard ta get, but useful don'tcha think?" Roku asked, sighing and shaking his head. "I'm sorry 'bout this Aang, but my loyalties are ta my country."

xXxXxXxXx

As the show finished, Katara stopped to regain her breath. She had begun reluctantly, but as she learned to work with the other Bender's movements and techniques, she found herself caught up in the pure fun and joy of it all. The two of them improvised, working with ice, water, and steam alike, sometimes coming together and at other times splitting off to do their own displays.

"Wonderful!" The Waterbender applauded as the crowds began to disperse.

"Master Pakku was not kidding about your skills." He beamed. "To think a girl could have learned so fast! Truly astounding!"

Katara allowed that last bit to slide, hoping that the Northern water Tribe will change its sexist ways sooner or later. She took the compliments with a smile, and turned to find a good part of the crowd coming in to meet the performers. They swarmed around the Kyoshi warriors, and more than a few headed towards the two Waterbenders, awe in their eyes.

"Thanks a bunch Aukku." Sokka told the Northern Waterbender as Katara happily performed more tricks to an audience of wide-eyed children. She seemed happy, at ease.

xXxXxXxXx

Ozai was not amused. He watched as the two soldiers carried the Avatar in between them, Roku quietly shuffling in behind them. The old man kept his gaze to his feet, and as Ozai demanded to know what had happened, he gave his report quietly.

Throughout the retelling, The Fire Lord -for he had taken back his title from his insane daughter- sat motionless at his throne, the head of the Audience Hall. Fire burned quietly all about him, shimmering in quiet rage. As Roku finished he simply stared back down at the ground, not moving, not making a sound.

And no one did for a long drawn out moment, until Ozai finally stood up.

"It seems I have underestimated you again Avatar." he hissed, moving aside and down to the ground level.

Aang wished he could be anywhere but there that moment. He hated feeling so helpless, so useless. He had seen a Shirshu paralyse Appa once, and though it had worn off in several minutes, the Sky Bison was also much much larger than Aang himself. There was nothing he could do at all under the effects of the paralysing toxin, and he fought his rising panic as Ozai approaching, stopping right in front of him.

Ozai stared down at the boy, at the thin black hair that obscured his tattoo completed from his angle. That this mere _boy_ would keep defying him and his plans, that his friends would so boldly try and take his Kingdom from _him_.

Plans formed in his mind, and suddenly it all seemed so clear to his what his path should be. It was a risk, yes, but the rewards will be great. Even if it did not succeed...yes, he will have crippled his worst enemy, his biggest threat greatly.

The Fire Lord suddenly reached to the side and drew the dagger belted at one of the soldier's hips. The man stiffened, but stood his ground.

"Sir- what are you doing?" Roku asked in alarm, looking up at the sound of metal. The blade burst into flames at Ozai's command.

xXxXxXxXx

Shyu sat with members of the White Lotus, watching as the old men shared stories over intense games of Pai Sho, drinking tea and light alcoholic beverages. Shyu had found himself getting along well with the White Lotus, finding that he shared many philosophies with them.

Then, suddenly, he felt it. He was not sure what it was, but a sense of dread, coldness, washed over him. He shivered and placed his tea down shakily, nearly spilling it contents. Iroh noticed this right away, and stopped mid-way through a move.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and the rest of the room quickly quieted down to turn and look at the Fire Sage. Shyu shook his head and got to his feet.

"I don't know, but..." he started, shaking his head. "I think something just happened, something bad."

Had there been a disturbance in the Spirit World? Fire sages are more in tune to that plane than the average person, but...

"I have to get to a temple, now." He suddenly blurted out, eyes widening in fear. Could it be...? The implications for the world if such a thing was to occur...

Iroh got to his feet immediately and headed for the door.

"Then come, quickly. I'll take you there."

xXxXxXxXx

"What's going on?" An alarmed Katara asked as a grim looking Master Pakku found them on the streets, urging them to go back to the palace with him. He only shook his head at the question.

"Can't talk here. I'll explain later." Was all he offered. They were soon joined by Zuko, lead by Master Piadao. They entered the palace, pushing their way past people enjoying the festivities well beyond midnight. Down a sparsely populated hall they turned into a meeting room, one that the Order of the White Lotus had taken as their own.

Pakku quickly shut the door behind them as they went in, and they found the room packed full of important people; masters of the White Lotus, the Earth Kingdom Council of five, and amazingly- Hakoda.

"Dad?" Sokka asked; he hadn't seen nor heard from his father or the others they had left at the Western Air temple since they had parted ways. The older man shook his head. "We only just arrived at Ba Sing Se. We can talk later."

Shyu stood beside Iroh, still fully clothed in the robes of a Fire sage. He glanced around the room sadly and bowed his head, his face twisted with grief.

"Avatar Aang is dead."

* * *

Oh gods please don't kill me. This was where I had been heading the entire story. I love Aang but it had to be done.

I feel like I butchered this chapter so bad. It feels so lame, but I blame rushing for NaNo for that. I debated over Roku for a while before settling with making him a Waterbender. It always struck me as odd that every nation was solely comprised of benders of their native element. I mean c'mon, there's gotta been the people living together before the war started. So yeah, here's a Waterbender who's willingly living in and fighting for the Fire Nation. Sort of fighting, he's still more of a healer, and caught Aang by surprise more than anything else and I'm rambling now aren't I?

I think this chapter was also me trying to make up for my sucky Zhongqiujie this year. My dad went back to China to take care of my sick grandmother so I spent it with only me and my mom. The Mid-Autumn festival is when the entire family is suppose to gather together and celebrate, and I haven't seen most of my family in years. I want to go back to china...and I'm still rambling aren't I?

I've scheduled myself to write another 2k today, so see y'all next week when I update with the last/second-last chapter. Possibly third-last if you count the epilogue.


	5. Katara: Healing

Yay updating really really soon! NaNo is making me write faster if nothing else.

This turned into a bridge chapter, but the next one is definitely the last. I don't see the battle really being all that epic, but meh. The most important things have already happened; the last scene of significance in my mind is going to be the epilogue.

I've been looking at my story traffic closely, and I'm happy to see signs of people reading through the entirety of my story. I'm happy and nervous at the same time, happy that people enjoy each chapter enough to go to the next, nervous because, well, people are actually reading what I'm writing.

Anyways, enjoy, and thank you for sticking with me for so long. And with this chapter, I have officially written my longest fanfic.

* * *

Kuei sighed, massaging his forehead as he took his seat at the head of the table. Bosco grumpily walked up beside him and curled up into a big ball of fur, significantly thinner than before. The two had been doing amazingly well in their travels when Kuei had received the news from Ba Sing Se. He had been thrilled to hear his city had been taken back and was safe from the Fire Nation, but had not expected to come home to such a big disaster.

The Avatar is dead. After the claim had been made by a Fire Sage, confirmation was sent by their spy in the Fire Nation Capital. The results of the news was devastating. Morale declined drastically on the front lines as soldiers learned that who they believed to be the only one capable of stopping the Fire Nation was gone. The more cheerful, boisterous atmosphere of Ba Sing Se after its liberation was dampened considerably, a fearful tone once more taking grasp.

Those who knew Aang personally grieved, and though they were important to the plans that must be made, Kuei couldn't bring himself to ask for their help.

Along with the White Lotus and his council of five, he planned and prepared. They didn't need their spy to tell them Ozai's next course of action; seize the next Avatar. Ozai was building an invasion force that was destined for the Water Tribes.

"Then it's decided. Pakku, Piandao, Bumi, and General How will take a contingent down to the South Pole. Hakoda and his warriors will, naturally, accompany them. They will evacuate the main Southern Tribe village and move them further inland where they will be safer against an attack by sea." Iroh stated, drawing nods from all around the table.

"The rest of us will head for the North Pole. That is where Ozai will focus his attack and forces, and that is where the Avatar is most likely to be born." There wasn't exactly that many men left in the Southern Tribe; the chance of a baby being born there within a week of Aang's death was unlikely. There was little objection around the table.

"What about the Foggy Swamp Tribe?" Sokka asked, having been silent the entire meeting. He had come out of a sense of responsibility, because he was the leader of their group. They were falling apart at the news, and Sokka knew he had to keep them together. He had to do what he could to help.

"I have talked to Hu and he says that he and the rest of the Swampbenders will go back and defend their own. We doubt the Fire Nation know of their existence, so they should be safe. And so will the Avatar if he is born amongst them." Iroh assured Sokka, and the young warrior nodded. He didn't think they would have any problems, but it was good to hear that everything had been addressed.

With the meeting adjourned, all around the table people pushed back their chairs and got up to leave. Sokka picked up his crutches and left quietly, following his father.

"Will you be coming with me?" Hakoda asked, startling his son out of his thoughts. The man stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face Sokka, who stopped at his side.

"I..." He began, and shook his head. "I'm going to the North Pole. I hate to be separated from you again, but..."

Hakoda nodded with understanding.

"Your Gran Gran and the others will be in safe hands. They'll need all the help they can get at the Northern Water Tribe." Hakoda told his son grimly. Ozai was sending the bulk of the Southern Raiders to the Southern Water Tribe, but their sources indicated that the majority of their navy and what was left of their airforce was heading north. It seemed most of the Fire Nation's forces they could spare were being devoted to this attack.

The two turned to walk down the hall once more, both silent.

xXxXxXxXx

The group was subdued as Sokka explained the plan to them. They sat around the room Sokka had taken for his own, the team sprawled over various pieces of furniture. Toph laid across the bed, barely listening. Suki sat by Sokka on the floor, where a map was pinned down in front of them. Katara laid back against the wall, trying her best to pay attention, though her mind was clouded with a haze of grief and pain. Zuko stood beside her, leaning back and listening carefully.

"Iroh and the rest of the generals will stay to defend Ba Sing Se, as well as coordinate attacks on the weakened Fire Nation troops. Tomorrow we leave for the North Pole on Appa. Jeong Jeong and the Mechanist will come with us, and we can prepare the defences ahead of time." He summarized in the end, and looked around to see if there were any objections.

"You can go home with Father if you want Katara." He told his little sister, and everyone's attention except Toph's turned to her. The girl shook her head, getting to her feet.

"No. I'm going with you." She said firmly.

"Then it's settled then. Get packed by tomorrow morning." Sokka closed the meeting, rolling up the map and his various papers. Toph rolled over onto her back and sat up.

"One problem. You named an awful lot of people there. Can Appa carry us all?" She asked, annoyed that no one else seemed to have considered this. Not only was it a lot of people and a very long distance to travel, Appa hadn't looked all that well this morning. Somehow or another, the Sky Bison seemed to understand that Aang was gone.

Sokka paused, chastising himself for forgetting such a thing. She was right; seven people for such a distance was too much for the Flying Bison.

"Three of us can go with the Earth Navy. That way Appa only needs to take four of us there." Zuko suggested, and Sokka mulled it over.

"We definitely want the mechanist there early so he can start setting up and constructing defenses, and we probably want a member of the Order there to help them plan, so Jeong Jeong should go. That leaves...two of us." He thought out loud, looking around the room.

"Flying to a great hunk of ice or sailing to a great hunk of ice?" Toph groaned, falling back onto the bed. "I think I'll take the nice metal ship."

"I think I can help. I know more about the Fire Nation Navy than anyone else." Zuko added in. "I'll go."

Sokka nodded. "That's probably for the best. I think I should go as well-"

"Let me go." Katara cut her brother off. She stood at her full height, her arms crossed tightly before her. She stared at Sokka determinedly. He seemed unable to figure out what to say, having not expected this. Suki however, seemed to understand.

"That settles it then. Why don't you two go find Jeong Jeong and the Mechnist and tell them the new plan?" Suki told them. The two nodded, and after confirming there was nothing left to discuss, they left.

"You know, this sucks _so much_." Toph groaned into a pillow, having rolled over again. Her voice wavered for a moment, but held.

Suki sighed, staring down at her hands in her lap. Sokka took them in his, and she smiled sadly as she looked up at him.

"Everything's going to work out fine, I promise." He told him, and she nodded. These were the same words they had forced themselves to believe for so long, and everything had seemed to fall apart.

xXxXxXxXx

"It's a girl." The healer stepped out of the room announced, and a man waiting anxiously just by the door turned, his worried expression widening into a large smile. He could hear the baby's crying inside the room.

"Healthy and strong." The healer proclaimed with a grin, gesturing for the man to go in. "Everything went smoothly."

The man nodded his thanks and eagerly pushed aside the cloth that served as a door. His wife sat in the bed, leaning back on a mountain of pillows and held a delicate bundle of blue blankets in her arms. She smiled at the sight of him, and he quickly rushed to her side, kneeling down to see the small baby in her arms, crying and wailing.

"Isn't she adorable Dakita?" The woman asked, her voice tired but filled with happiness and awe.

"Shhhh, now little one, shhhh." She murmured softly, rocking the baby gently. Dakita nodded, and held out his arms, the couple gently transferring the baby to him. He held the small crying bundle close to him, joy filling his heart at the sight. It was the most incredible feeling, to know that this fragile little baby was his daughter.

"Have you thought of a name for her yet Kanana?" He asked. The two had discussed names before of course, but they had decided to leave it. Whatever was right for their child would come to them, they believed."

"...Sika." Kanana murmured, looking up to smile at her husband. He paused for a moment, and then nodded.

"Sika...it's a beautiful name. Sika it is." He agreed, and found his eyes drawn back down to his daughter, whose crying had quieted down.

"Sleep now Sika."

xXxXxXxXx

The Angakut -the Water Priest- came to them the next day.

Though it had only happened two days ago, it was common knowledge within the Northern Water city that the Avatar had died. Rumours and fear flew thickly through the city, as talks of the Fire Nation's victory spread like wildfire. They had been keeping limited contact with the Earth Kingdom through an emissary they had sent more than a week ago -Aukku- and though the news they had gotten were good, the fact the Avatar had been captured made everyone uneasy.

And now he was dead. The Avatar born to the Air Nomads was gone, and it was the Water Tribe's turn in the cycle to give birth to the next Avatar. Avatars are usually identified at the age of two, when they are able to choose the right artifacts amongst thousands of toys. But no one believed they had much time. They must find the Avatar as soon as possible, protect it and and train it.

And so the Angakut came, as he did upon hearing news of any new births within the city since the last Avatar's death. Dakita answered the door, had expected the visit. But still, he had dreaded it.

"Let me see the baby." He asked softly, and Dakita had carefully picked Sika up from their bed, doing his best not to disturb the sleeping form of Kanana. He carefully handing his child over to the Water Priest. He held the baby gingerly, smiling at the baby's sleeping face. "What is her name?"

"Sika." Dakita answered quietly.

"A beautiful name for one who will become a beautiful woman. Come, we will go to the Spirit Oasis. She is too young to pick the Elemental Artifacts, but La, the spirit of the Ocean, will recognize the Avatar Spirit. They had merged once and share a powerful connection." The Angakut spoke softly and turned, motioning for Dakita to follow. They stepped down into a gondola waiting for them on the canal just outside, and as the two sat down a Waterbender lowered himself down after him. He started the boat, moving them along with Waterbending.

They headed towards the back of the city, towards the Chief Temple. Through the temple and in the back they climbed through the small opening that led into the cave that was the Spirit Oasis.

Dakita had never come here before. The cavern was flooded with water, with a single island in the middle. A waterfall fell down behind the island, behind a pile of carefully arranged rocks and plants and a prayer gate. The man suddenly found himself uncomfortably hot, for the cave was pleasantly warm. He stared in awe around the area as the water priest led him over a bridge to their left and they stopped before a pond in the middle of the island.

The Angakut carefully made his way to the pond and sat down with his back to the prayer gate. the baby stirred in his arms, waking from its sleep. Dakita stared into the pond, blinking as he saw a blur of black and white circling each other, taking the shape of Koi fish. He knew what they were of course; Tui, and La, the Moon and the Ocean. Their princess, Yue, had given her life to Tui many many months ago.

The Angakut placed the baby down before him, just at the edge of the land. The Koi continued to circle around each other, as if they were unaware of the humans that had entered their midst.

A few unbearably long minutes later, the circle of black and white began to break, the black swimming away from the circle for a moment towards the Angakut, who sat calmly, waiting. The baby's eyes were open, and she was awake. Her inquisitive eyes darted around, and she did not cry. As the black koi -La- came to the edge of the pond, Sika gave out a happy laugh and struggled to turn in her blanket, reaching to the side for the koi.

She could not have even seen the fish, with her blankets wrapped tightly around her face, looking up at the ceiling. The white dot on the top of La's head seemed to glow for a second, and Dakita wondered if it had been a light reflected on the water. As La swam back and once again began its harmonious spin around his partner, the Angakut picked up the child.

"Sika is the next Avatar."

Dakita felt his heart drop, his fears confirmed. In any time but now, he would have been proud to be the father of the Avatar. But in such an era as theirs, he knew that such a title would doom his child. As she grew up, her sole purpose would be mastering the elements, the fate and hope of the world on her small shoulders. She would be expected to fight until her last breath for the people. She would be hunted until the end of her days like the last Avatar had been, unless if she stopped the war first, as the world will expect of her.

No man wished such a life for their daughter.

xXxXxXxXx

Appa landed in the water with a groan as the Waterbenders cautiously drew around them in their patrol boats. They recognized the Sky Bison though -it was hard not to- as well as the girl steering at his head. They formed a protective escort around them, and Appa swam the rest of the way to the great city.

"Marvelous! Simply ingenious!" The Mechanist commented on the system of using Waterbending in isolated chambers to raise boats from sea level to the water level of canals in the city. Jeong Jeong sat quietly at the back of the saddle, silently observing the sights about him. Zuko had been here once before, but had not stopped to appreciate its beauty and was astounded now by the design and architecture all done completely with ice.

It was a completely different world from one he had grown up in. And to think the Fire Nation had been trying so hard for so long to destroy this entire culture, its beautiful cities and eradicate the art of Waterbending. Just as they had done with the Air Nomads.

Appa was led into a large domed building near the walls of the city, where he was given a place to rest and a pile of food. The Sky Bison didn't seem to mind the pile of dried seaweed, eating through it absently as he stared out at space. Katara patted him gently as she slid off his head, and could see the sorrow in his eyes.

Katara led them through the city, admiring the buildings of ice all around them. The Mechanist glanced around like a child on New Year's Eve, ecstatic at the design behind the surprisingly strong structures. Jeong Jeong couldn't help but show a slight smile at the sight of the the result of Waterbending firsthand. Water was life, was healing and change, could protect and defend. He had always envied Waterbenders, who had such a beautiful gift when he saw his own as nothing more than a means of destruction.

As they walked by the canal two small gondolas driven by Waterbenders came down and stopped by their side.

"Chief Arnook invites you to the Chief Temple." One of them told the group, and they got onto the boats, Katara and Zuko on one while Jeong Jeong and the Mechanist took the second one.

xXxXxXxXx

Chief Arnook sighed with frustration at the news. A full scale attack on their city again from the Fire Nation. They had barely survived the last one, and it was only with Aang and La's intervention, and had sustained heavy damage. But he should have expected this. The new Avatar had only just been born into their city, and the Fire Lord would not allow her to stay free. That was why they had taken such drastic measures to identify the Avatar right away and inform the city who must be protected. Traditionally, no one but the Water Priest knew who the Avatar was until he or she reached the age of sixteen.

"The Earth Kingdom is sending their support. About half a dozen ships and three hundred soldiers, and they will arrive within the week.." Sokka explained. Arnook nodded absently, already making plans in his mind. They had to set up their defenses. They don't know how much time they have, so they had to act fast.

"I don't suppose they sent any benders?" Arnook asked, and Katara shook her head.

"No, the Earthbenders would be helpless here." She explained. Only one Earth Bender was coming, Toph, and she intended to stay on the metal ship during the battle.

"We should start strengthening your walls." Jeong Jeong added seriously.

"We should also keep constant guard over the Spirit Oasis. We can't allow them to get to Tui again." Katara added, and Arnook nodded.

"Of course." He whispered. "I will not allow the spirit of my daughter to be in danger... Katara, I would be at ease if you would watch over her."

She nodded.

"Well, if everything is decided on, I would like to see what I have to work with. There are certain modifications to your walls I would like to make." The Mechanist piped up, rubbing his hands together eagerly as he stepped up.

Arnook looked down at him hesitantly, and then nodded. They needed all the advantages they can get.

"You must be tired. You know where the guest quarters are, feel free to take any of the empty rooms." Arnook sighed, motioning to the rest of them. He then turned to one of the other elders, who stood up and gestured for the mechanist to follow him.

"I will take you to the wall." He told the man, and the two left.

Katara hesitated, though Jeong Jeong and Zuko turned to leave. They paused as she walked to the conversing Tribe Leaders and voiced a question.

"You mentioned the new Avatar had been born here?" She asked, and Arnook turned back to face her.

"Yes, a young girl named Sika. The Ocean Spirit recognized her and her alone."

"I...I'd like to meet her."

Arnook nodded.

"She and her family are currently being housed here in the Chief Temple for protection. I will lead you there myself."

xXxXxXxXx

Kanana was awake, sitting up in bed and feeding her daughter. She smiled sadly down at the small bundle of blankets in her arms. She looked up as the cloth door was pushed aside, and a young girl revealed her face.

"May I come in?" She asked. Kanana saw there were others behind the girl, including the chief. She nodded.

"Of course. I'm sorry for the mess, we had only just moved here." She apologized. Everything had been unpacked, but what little they had was all in one corner. They hadn't had time to arrange everything. The girl came in, and Kanana watched in surprise as she drew the icy floor up into a solid stool by the bed. So she was a Waterbender- an _actual_ Waterbender, not just a Healer. She knew who this was.

"You're...Katara aren't you?" She asked, and the Southern Tribe girl nodded, taking a seat.

"I will take your friends to their room." Arnook told her, allowing the door to close and leading the other two further down the hall.

"You...were close friends with the last Avatar?" Kanana started hesitantly, having heard the stories. Baby Sika gave a small gurgling sound, stirring. One hand came free of the blanket to grasp at the bottom of milk bottle her mother held. Kanana lowered it and Sika happily sucked on it.

"Yes." Was Katara's simply reply, and she looked down at the baby Avatar. Different emotions rose inside her, but she fought it all down. It wouldn't be right to show her grief in front of the new mother. She reminded herself over and over again that Aang wasn't dead, he was right here, living, breathing and will one day be able to enjoy the world, play and laugh and experience joy.

But it wasn't Aang. The memories she had built with that young boy, the Airbender she had one day freed from an iceberg...they didn't exist and will never exist within this girl, Sika.

She had never even said a proper goodbye to Aang.

"I'm sorry about what happened." Kanana told Katara softly in her best effort to comfort the distressed Waterbender. The young woman could see the inner turmoil within the other. Sika spat out the bottle, staring up at Katara. She reached a hand up, trying to grasp at her hair loopies with a gurgling laugh.

"I never met him, but he...he was a pretty amazing person wasn't he?"

Katara nodded absently, staring down at little Sika, and couldn't help give a little smile. She was so tiny, her little hands delicate and soft, her smile innocent, unaware of the circumstances that ruled her life. And suddenly, she understood.

"It was never his duty." The Waterbender whispered, drawing a curious glance from the older woman. "He was the Avatar, but he had just as much responsibility to this world as the rest of us."

Kanana nodded, looking back down to her child.

"Yes...I suppose so." She whispered. "He had been young hadn't he been? I...I hope this war ends before Sika grows up. I just want my child to grow up happy and live a normal, fulfilling life. It's not fair to expect her to fight for us is it?"

Katara shook her head.

"I guess not. It wasn't fair to Aang either."

xXxXxXxXx

The Earth Navy arrived a week later. New defences set up around the walls of the city meant that it was impossible to safely bring the ships close to the city. Out for nearly a kilometre from the wall the water was frozen solid, a thick barrier that would be impossible for most ships to work through. Jagged spikes of ice crisscrossed the landscape, many with one of the Mechanist's exploding devices within their hearts, a further hazard for anyone attempting to get at the city. When the Fire Navy arrives, they'll be forced to land and make the entire way to the city by foot, during which they will be easy pickings for water benders.

The Earth Navy docked at the edge of this field, unable to get to the city safely themselves. The Waterbenders went to them through small safe channels of passable water that reached all the way back to the city. Soldiers were loaded on small Waterbending-powered boats and ferried to the Northern Water Tribe City.

Sokka was impressed.

The jagged spikes of ice that rose all around them were a nice touch, and as they neared he saw that the main outer wall had been considerably strengthened. It was much taller too, providing the city with more protection from airborne projectiles like the flaming balls of pitch favoured by the Fire Nation.

They entered the heavily guarded gate into the area between the two main walls, a flat expanse with a single canal splitting it in half down the middle. Warriors milled around this area in all directions, taking posts up on the walls and undergoing training. Buildings dotted the area, serving as armouries, barracks, and mess halls.

It was painfully clear that the Water Tribe was desperate for the reinforcements; their warriors numbered much less than before the Siege by Zhao. Many fighter had been lost to that battle, including the elite group sent by Chief Arnook to attack Zhao's ship directly. Though the defences set up so far were impressive, they must have been created through nonstop work in the last week. With a number of Healers and Benders sent to their sister tribe, the combined power of their Waterbenders were also considerably weaker.

Two watch towers, one on each end of the outer wall looked up over at the frozen ocean beyond. Beyond the first wall was a secondary wall, one that had no entrance except through Waterbending.

"They've really prepared themselves haven't they?" Suki commented as a large section of the secondary wall slipped down under the water, allowing a dozen small boats to enter. It closed behind them and Waterbenders on the walls raised the water level. The other end of the enclosed space opened up and their boat slipped forward smoothly into the main canal of the city.

Most of the boats stopped here and unloaded the Earth Soldiers, going back to ferry more. The one that held Sokka and his friends though, continued forward.

"Have they? I wouldn't know." Toph grumbled, sitting at the bottom of the boat, trying her best not to hurl. "You could have told me I had to get _off_ the ships."

Sokka shot Toph a sympathetic glance, knowing that the Earthbender was less than happy about learning that until they left this place she would be completely and utterly helpless. She will be truly blind for a very long time.

"We hadn't expected them to protect the waters so well. We can't expect the Earth Navy to fight the Fire Navy when isolated from the city. We'll have to abandon the ships." He explained, though he knew that Toph wasn't looking for logical reasoning. She was grumpy and she had a good reason for it.

Toph didn't respond, more intent on keeping her lunch down.

All around them the city bustled with activity. Men trained and hunted, Waterbenders fishing at a rapid rate. Women back home worked double time in drying, salting, smoking, freezing and preserving the food in anticipating of a long siege in which they will not be able to reap the bountiful harvest of the sea. Smoke curled up from chimneys, stray lines of grey against the cloudless blue of the sky above. The lingering smell of prepared food permeated the entire city.

As they neared the Chief Temple a familiar pair were there to greet them. Suki hopped off the ship and Sokka climbed up after her. His leg was still sore and tender, but he was able to put his weight on it now without collapsing. It had been a relief to finally be free of the crutch. Katara's healing sessions had worked miracles.

Both helped Toph off, and the girl cursed and grumbled as she found her footing. She shivered at the feeling of cold ice under her feet; the stubborn Earthbender had refused to put boots on.

Katara stepped forward to greet them, and Sokka noted that she seemed much more lively than when she had left them. Perhaps her time here had helped her come to terms with Aang's death, at least to some extent. Sokka hugged her sister tightly, and Katara broke off to greet Suki and Toph as well. The person behind Katara caught his attention and Sokka couldn't help but break into a large grin.

"That looks surprisingly good on you." The young man commented, and Zuko's face turned red, hunching his shoulders slightly in an attempt to hide his face into his thick clothing. The Water Tribe had provided him with a typical warrior's outfit, him having vastly underestimated the cold when he chose what clothes to bring, and seeing the Firebender in a long thick blue anorak trimmed with white fluffy fur was...well frankly, it was amusing. The comparatively pale colours made his scar stand out even more than usual.

"So, looks like you've all been busy." Suki commented, gesturing vaguely around her. Zuko, more than happy to take attention away from his change of clothing, took a step forward.

"We've done what we can. We'll be outnumbered, so we had to take advantage of anything we have. As long as we can keep the navy and land troops at bay long enough, the-" He began to explained, but was interrupted by a loud sneeze from Toph.

"Mind talking after we get out of this freezer of a wasteland?" Toph grumbled.

"That's a good idea. I think there's somewhere you'd like Toph." Katara told them, then motioned for everyone to follow. Toph roughly grabbed a fistful of the back of Sokka's coat, walking along with him as her guide.

A short walk through the Temple and they crawled into a small opening in a wall. The moment they stepped in Toph let go of Sokka and broke out into a wide grin.

"Now this is more like it!" She wiggled her toes against the soil that was suddenly under her, digging her foot a bit deeper in to enjoy the feeling. It was warm here too, almost like spring back home.

"You sure we're still in the North Pole?" She asked as Katara closed the opening behind them and the group sat down on the grass. Across from them was a bridge leading to a small island in the middle of the flooded cavern.

"This is the Spirit Oasis." Katara explained, and Toph nodded in recognition; the group had told her stories. "I've spent most of my time here."

"The Chief is afraid they'll send someone to attack Tui again." Zuko explained, unzipping the front of his very warm parka that was getting uncomfortably hot here. "I...uh...managed to sneak in here last time, and they're afraid someone else might be able to do the same."

Katara nodded. "He's trusting me to protect her."

"Well count me in!" Toph declared happily. "Just _try_ and make me leave this place."

Sokka nodded, part of him wanting to join them as well. Arnook had tasked him with with protecting Yue once, and he felt himself longing to take that job once more. Katara and Aang had always claimed they could feel Yue's spirit when the moon was strong, and he had envied them for it. But here...perhaps it was his imagination, but there was that kindness and warmth that just seemed to correspond so well with the memories of the Princess he had once loved.

But his duty was elsewhere.

"We have another week before the Fire Nation is at our door. Let's make the next few days count." Sokka proclaimed, and everyone around the circle agreed. Katara winced inwardly at the confirmation of the rumoured date of the attack. The day of the new moon, when the Waterbenders are at their weakest.

"When we're done with them, they'll be crawling home with their tails tucked between their legs." Toph added with a wide, almost sinister grin. She slammed her fist into an open palm. "This is for you Aang."

* * *

Nothing flows as well when I'm just writing as I think instead of planning each scene and slotting them together it seems.

If anyone feels that Team Avatar did not express enough grief over Aang's death, I don't believe them to be the kinds to sulk for long periods of time. Also, as someone who has gone through the grieving process many more times than I think is fair for someone my age, I am never too comfortable with writing about it. Words never do it justice, _ever_. And I tend to get very emotional about it if I do try, which is why I avoided it here.

If it had been a oneshot, I probably would have explored the emotional consequences to Aang's death in more detail, but for this...I'm not comfortable getting into that.

Thanks for reading, next chapter'll be up whenever.


	6. Sokka: Fight

I had a very bad case of writer's block this chapter. I don't know why, but everything just seemed so _boring_ to me. I rewrote this chapter twice before I realized what I was doing wrong. After rearranging my plans as to how to tell this story effectively, I sat down and started writing again after discarding about 6k worth of words. And my writer's block suddenly died! The first day I only wrote 2k, but yesterday I just sat down and wrote and wrote and didn't stop until my mom dragged me off the laptop.

Killing a writer's block feels really really nice.

Anyways, this is the final story-important chapter. Everything gets wrapped up in the epilogue. Also, for anyone else doing NaNo or who has done NaNo, I took it as a personal mission to included several NaNo traditions. I managed to fit all the ones I know of into this single chapter. Anyone who names them all gets a cookie.

Once again I apologize for any spelling/grammar/typo mistakes that gets past me. I usually run through my stories several times during proofreading, but during my limited time during NaNo I only read through it once.

* * *

"Look, just leave it to me." Toph assured Chief Arnook, a wide grin on her face. The man looked to the side at the pond and the Koi within, then back to the blind Earthbender. The 12-year-old blind Earthbender.

"B-but..." he managed to stutter, his eyes drawn to the tent made of stone Toph had erected on the little island. Katara placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Chief, you won't find anyone more capable of protecting your daughter. This way I can leave to fight." She explained, knowing that Chief Arnook was having a hard time accepting that the little girl in front of him was nearly as capable as her friends were claiming her to be.

"C'mon, you're not going to get me out of here anytime soon, so you might as well let me look after your magical fish." Toph argued, and the Chief shook his head.

"Th-his is a sacred place, I-I...how can you...I..." He continued to stutter, his gaze once more drawn over to the tent. Sokka shot Toph a glare at the 'magical fish' comment, and turned to Arnook.

"She'll know if anyone comes in here. If she stays in the Oasis, there's no chance anyone will come in here unnoticed." He explained.

"She has my approval to stay within the Spirit Oasis." The man standing behind them murmured, the first thing he has said the entire time. They all turned to face the old man, -the Angakut, the Water Priest- who bowed down slightly.

"Master Toph, please protect the Spirits of the Moon and Ocean."

"Well then, that settles it!" Toph proclaimed happily. Chief Arnook sighed and just nodded.

xXxXxXxXx

It began, as always, with the black snow.

It came down gently first, a few puffs here and there of soot. They stood guard on the great walls of their city, looking out at the field of ice and then the life-giving ocean beyond. It was early in the morning, but the usually calm city was buzzing with activity. People milled around to their appointed posts, warriors to the walls, healers to the infirmaries, those unable to fight withdrawing back into the city for safety.

Sokka noticed the falling soot first, and stared up to see them drifting downwards towards the ground, black, perverted snowflakes. The sight of them sent a shudder down his spine, despite his best efforts to fight it. The black snow was deeply ingrained in every Southern Water Tribe's heart, a symbol of fear and death. It was what haunted the nightmares of children and adults alike.

It was what had stolen his mother forever and taken away his father for so long.

"They're coming!" Sokka yelled out, alerting the other warriors standing beside him on the great wall of ice looking out over what would become the battlefield, the life-giving Ocean stretching out into the horizon. On its surface were small black dots -Fire Nation Ships-, the black soot billowing up from them into the crisp autumn air, creating a reddish haze in the distance.

The city was fully aware of the attack now, and they prepared themselves wordlessly. They all knew their role in this battle ahead of them, a battle they had all prepared for extensively. It was now or never, their lives and their home, or annihilation. It was time to protect everything they held dear and loved.

Sokka sprinted his way down the length of the wall, stopping to give final words of encouragement to those who would be fighting beside them. Many were his age or younger, having only taken the role of warrior in the place of their fallen fathers after the last attack. For many it was their first fight, and for many it would be their last.

Sokka found Chief Arnook down at the wall, the man directing warriors through their gates. The two exchanged wordless glances, and the young warrior joined the others out onto the ice field. Though barely a man, many will look up to him as a leader this fight, he knew. They saw him as someone who had travelled with and fought alongside the Avatar. He took that burden, that responsibility, readily.

As he hopped into a boat with another crowd of warriors, he adjusted his wolf-helmet and checked that his boomerang was secured on his back. Spear in hand, he waited for the Waterbenders to move him and the others out.

xXxXxXxXx

"Good luck." Zuko told Katara, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. She broke away and nodded, turning to Appa who stirred restlessly behind her. He was in full armour, the set that Sokka had made for him many months ago during the failed invasion during the Day of Black Sun. The Sky Bison's eyes glinted with a strange light, and Katara could feel that he was ready for a fight.

"You too, stay safe." She turned back to the Firebender, and then climbed up onto the saddle on Appa's back, where several other Waterbenders were grimly waiting. These were the best Benders in the city, about half a dozen of them chosen for this mission. Two of them checked that the large water barrels secured to either side of Appa's armour were firmly in place before those already on his back helped them climb up.

With a roar Appa kicked off from the ground and up into the air, his six passengers' attention fixed to the sky, for they were not the only airborne units.

Far ahead of them, out over the waters above the ships, loomed the remnants of the Fire Nation Airforce. Two large metal Airships glided through the sky, heading towards the city. Between, beside and all around them were small red specks- war balloons. Dozens of them.

Katara sat at Appa's head, though the Sky Bison did not need any steering. She wrapped the reins loosely around her hands and dropped them down to her side, reassuring herself that both of her Waterskins were there within reach.

"Is everyone ready?" She called out, and the five other Waters all nodded with determination. The success of their role would make or break this battle. Katara took a deep breath, and tugged lightly at Appa's reins.

"Bring us up."

xXxXxXxXx

Zuko watched the group of Waterbenders leave and then turned to the small group of Waterbenders he would be working with. Three of them stood before him, silent and grave. Jeong Jeong stood by his side, another trio of benders in front of him.

"Is everyone clear what we are to do?" Zuko asked, knowing the answer but needing to hear it himself. The anticipation before a battle was always the worst, and the Firebender felt anxieties rise up within him. The Waterbenders nodded in unison, and Zuko gathered himself, straightening. He had spent a lot of time with these benders as well as Jeong Jeong over the last week, training together for their role in the battle. Katara instructed the Waterbenders, and Jeong Jeong instructed him.

"If we are ready, then let's head out." He announced.

xXxXxXxXx

Suki winced as she saw the explosion in the distance. She couldn't see it, but she could imagine the damage. Out at the far edge of the ice, one of the Fire nation ships must have attempted to break through the ice and set off one of the Mechanist's mines. They had concentrated the explosives on the far side of the ice field for that very reason.

Though she and her Kyoshi warriors were quite a ways away now, having picked their way through the ice silently and quietly from the first hints of the battle starting, they could hear the soldiers cheer up on the walls behind them. Looks like the first blow had been struck.

The girls wore thin, but warm, light grey suits that helped them blend into the snow and ice around them as the soot from above coated everything in a thin layer of grey. Their breath frosted in the air, and every breath stung their throat and lungs with cold. But they ignored their discomfort and forged on, the dozen or so of them knowing their mission well.

To the leaders of the Water Tribe, it had sounded like a suicidal mission to them, but they underestimated the skill of the Kyoshi Warriors. They weaved through and between the spikes of ice, leaving barely a trace though the snowy landscape was not even their preferred terrain.

As they neared the edge of the ice, with the ships coming into view, the Kyoshi warriors broke off and spread out individually, each finding a small hill to lie down behind, peeking up over the snow to watch the Fire Nation and their activities.

They could see the unfortunate ship that must have crashed into the mine. It was wedged pretty far into the ice, driving a great crack through the field. The front end of it was, well, not there. About the first quarter of the ship's tip was spread out in a large radius of deadly shrapnel, the edges of the metal twisted and torn. The bodies of soldiers killed in the explosion sprawled all over this radius.

Soldiers milled about as more ships came to the edge of the ice and opened their fronts, lowering their tips onto the ice.

Troops and tanks came out of those openings, and not too long after they began attempting to wheel their trebuchets off the deck and onto the ice. The Fire Navy seemed to have caught on pretty quickly that the ice was a veritable field of death for any ships that would dare try to traverse it, and had made the decision to switch into a land-based attack.

The girls laid low, wedging themselves between shards of ice or into small caves of snow as the soldiers unknowingly passed them in their preparations.

xXxXxXxXx

Appa took them up, far up above the altitude the airships were at. Here the wind lashed at their exposed skin and the frigid air grasped and yanked away the heat from their bodies. The Waterbenders shivered, but ignored their discomfort. The Sky Bison levelled off as they drifted forward, unseen by the Fire Airforce. Katara leaned to the side, staring down at the Balloons and the two great metal Airships below them. She and Appa carefully manoeuvred themselves over one of the Airships, and the Sky bison began to silently glide downwards.

Katara turned to the Waterbenders and gave them the signal. Three of them turned to one of the water barrels on one side of Appa, and they drew the liquid out, bursting the wood. Katara and the other two did the same for the other barrel, and the three of them worked together at holding the water up. They could feel the strain within them, and it took all of them working together to shape the great mass of water and freezing it. They could feel the weakness of the moon on the day it is hidden.

Appa veered aside and they passed over the Airship far below. Katara and the two Waterbenders working with her aimed carefully, and dropped the large spear of ice they had created. They watched as it fell downwards, accelerating as the earth grabbed at it hungrily, and within a second it struck the airship.

It went through cleanly, its point and all the force behind it ramming through the top layer of the metal to crash into its interior, wreaking havoc with whatever was encased below. Moments later they flew over the second Airship and the other three Waterbenders dropped their load as well. It was another perfect hit, and both flying vessels shuddered under the weight of the attack, the momentum of the projectiles driving them downwards.

With a mighty roar Appa rushed downwards, and the Waterbenders opened their waterskins, drawing out a clear liquid that was faintly yellow. They each took only a small amount, but they didn't need much of the volatile substance.

Who knew blasting jelly was water-soluble?

xXxXxXxXx

Suki watched as the trebuchets were slowly wheeled out onto the ice by the dozens along with the soldiers. Ships came and went, docking in succession to unload all of its troops and supplies. It seems that they were ready for a long fight, possibly to lay siege to the city. To them, it probably did not seem a difficult prospect- the Water Tribe's defensive walls on all sides also trapped its citizens there.

Even as a young man passed within a metre of her, Suki kept her nerve, a hand holding tightly around the cold metal of her combat fan. He never saw her, passed by not knowing how close he had been to uncovering the Kyoshi warriors.

How close he had been to a guaranteed death.

Suki released her breath quietly, fully in control of herself as the man passed. She came out of her hiding place for only a moment, taking stock of the number of trebuchets that have already been unloaded. She saw several being cocked and ready, pushed towards the city by teams of both men and large creatures she recognized as Kimodo Rhinos. The trebuchets had to be moved closer to the city before the walls of the Water Tribe was within range.

Those trebuchets with its ammo of flaming pitch had done an extraordinary amount of damage during the last attack. It had taken down the city's great walls and crushed buildings, killing civilians and soldiers alike. Suki was determined not to let those siege engines wreak such havoc again.

As the soldiers suddenly glanced back and skywards at the sound of stressed and creaking metal, Suki snapped open her fans and rolled out of the ice and snow. A trebuchet and its team was within a short sprint of her, and before any of the soldiers around her had realized what had happened, one of the Kimodo Dragons was thrashing wildly, a deep cut along its side. Enrage, it tossed its rider off and struggled against its reins, pulling the trebuchet forward and out of the grips of its human operators.

The Kyoshi Warrior was onto the siege engine in a flash, her fans slashing across key chains and ropes that held the contraption together and allowed it to function. Before anyone had recovered, she was gone, a grey blur heading towards the next trebuchet, the one she left collapsing into a pile of metal and wood.

As the Airships above groaned through its heavy damage, several more shadows, the barest of winds, descended upon the troops, disabling one of the army's most effective weapons against their enemy.

xXxXxXxXx

Sokka lead the charge.

Spear raised, the blessings of Chief Arnook marked upon his forehead, the young warrior was amongst the first to join battle. The lines of the Water Tribe smashed into the waiting Fire Nation Soldiers, pushing them back. These warriors were at home here, out in the snow and the ice, and their intimate knowledge of the field immediately gave them a sharp advantage over their opponents who struggled to keep their footing.

The Earth Soldiers were much slower than them, as out of place here as the Fire Nation Soldiers were, but they fought with no less ferocity. The two ranks crashed together like waves upon a shore- a sandy shore, as the Fire Soldiers slowly lost ground.

The young man grimaced as he parried an attack, his spear giving him superior range to his opponent. The Polar Leopard spearhead slipped through a fold in the armour, penetrating flesh. As the Fire Nation Soldier doubled over, Sokka yanked his spear back out and turned to block another oncoming attack.

As their initial momentum played out, the two sides drew out into an even match. Though the attackers could not match the intensity of the defender's purpose, they outnumbered them vastly.

And then came the Firebenders.

Sokka saw the contingent first, marching forward in sync, mowing down any that attempted to stand in their way. He saw a Waterbender bravely standing before them, raising a wall of ice to block their flames, but he was too weak by himself- the fire ate through his ice and engulfed him.

The young man slung his boomerang off his back, and taking only a second to aim he threw it into the ranks of the Firebenders, its razor-sharp edge flying end-over-end. It rammed into one Firebender, sending him staggering back as the Boomerang lodged itself into his armour. That man rammed into another, sending the two of them sprawling to the ground.

A group of Water Tribe warriors began to band together, carefully retreating as they stayed just out of reach of the Firebenders' range. They reached into bags at their side and took out special balls of ammunition provided to them by the Mechanist.

Sokka took out one such projectile, a small clay ball that fit comfortably in the palm of his hand, carefully placing it at the end of a sling. He brought it up over his head, swinging it in a large circle until he deemed it to have gained enough momentum, and then released it, alongside several others' projectiles.

The small clay balls shattered within the ranks of the Firebenders, and out of them a clear colourless liquid spilled out, splashing and covering many of the Benders and the ground around them. The Firebenders ignored the barrage, continuing forward towards the small group of warriors.

"Hold your ground..." Sokka whispered to the fighters around him, his heart pounding in his chest. He fought down the impulse to run away before the Benders get too close. All around the battlefield the others gave them all a wide berth.

"Now!" Sokka yelled out as he watched one of the Firebenders punch forward, a typical Firebending attack. He and the other warriors dropped down to the snow in unison as the first of the fire came out of the man's fist. Nothing happened at first as the blast of fire soared harmlessly over their head, and Sokka wondered if something had gone wrong, had doomed them. They were powerless on the ground, so near the Benders.

And then a small spark of fire landed on another of the Firebender's body and the stove fuel that had been contained in the clay spheres ignited.

xXxXxXxXx

Zuko quickly rolled to the side, barely avoiding the blast of fire that slammed into the ground where he had been moments ago. Ice hissed, bubbled and steamed as the Firebender got back to his feet. The Tundra Tank left a trail of destruction behind it, the normal soldiers scrambling out of its way, unable to do a thing about them.

Zuko returned the fire with his own, aiming for the opening into the cockpit. The Firebender within simply ducked down under the safety of the steel. His intent wasn't to kill the other Bender though; he had done his job. The tank's attention was fully on him now, he who had been dodging and deflecting their attacks for several minutes. They barely noticed the three Waterbenders who quietly sneaked up to the side of the tank, invisible to those inside.

The former Fire Prince sprinted in a circular fashion to the tank, and the great metal machine stopped in order to turn and hone its aim on him. It was then that the three Waterbenders dashed in, all three placing their hands on the metal casing of the tank. They felt for and found the hydrolics system within, just as Katara had instructed them.

It was their first kill, and they learned quickly.

xXxXxXxXx

Appa dodged frantically as they got too near the Balloon, a blast of fire slamming into the side of the Sky Bison's saddle. The Waterbenders held on for dear life, not onto the saddle, but onto the substance they were Bending. Allowing even a small handful to drop would result in disaster for them.

Katara shot the small amount she had up at the balloon and Appa veered sharply to avoid being right under her target. The yellow liquid splattered against the bottom of the basket of the balloon. Nothing happened for a few seconds, until a small explosion set off at the basket, taking off half of it. One of the soldiers manning it fell screaming to the ground as the other clung desperately to what remained for the floor and wall.

Below them the Airships were wobbling on the line between crashing and recovering. The Waterbenders were heading towards it, but the War balloons were too numerous and blocked their progress. One of the other Waterbenders sliced through a balloon they passed with a streak of watery blasting jelly. The heat of the hot air within ignited it immediately, blasting a large hole into the fabric. It crumpled and deflated, the balloon falling down towards ground.

Appa weaved his way between and through the balloons and headed back up, having taken enough. He couldn't break through the layer of balloons and he couldn't keep trying anymore. Flying with armour and so many riders was exhausting. Katara patted Appa on the head as they cleared the range of the Firebenders below.

They flew over the balloons, back towards the city. With a loud groan Appa came down onto the battlefield, scattering troops in all directions. A Firebender sent a blast in their direction, but Katara and the other Waterbenders reacted together, drawing out normal water from their waterskins, sending its combined volume forward. It blasted through the fire and continued forward to drench the Firebender, sending him back. They drew they water back, leaving enough to keep the Firebender frozen helplessly to the ground.

"Go get some rest Appa, you did well." Katara told the Sky Bison, who roared loudly and slammed his tail against the ice. A great blast of air blew out behind him, knocking back a small group of soldiers. the water tribe warriors they were fighting were on them in an instant as Appa took to the air and headed back towards the city.

Katara kept the other Waterbenders near, and they began to clear the field around them, their eyes still to the sky. Their plan hadn't gone through completely, as the two Airships were still in the air, and they could not tell if they were in their death throes or not. But they could still handle the balloons.

xXxXxXxXx

Suki slashed her fan through the reins that held the enraged Kimodo Rhino, and the thing broke free with a roar, charging into its handlers and generally causing chaos. She took the distraction to take out many of the stunned soldiers around the trebuchet, her deadly fans snapping in and out with lightning speed.

With the area cleared around her, Suki hurriedly bent down to the prone form of one of her warriors- Rin was her name. A sword had gotten through her defences from behind, evident by the rip in the back of her grey coat, now soaked with blood. She was still breathing, but it was shallow and painful.

There was nothing Suki could do for her; they were too far away from the city, from support and Healers. It was a risk they had all willingly took when they came out here. Suki gently helped the girl roll onto her back, and Rin reached up weakly to clasp hands with her leader. With some last reserve of inner strength she squeezed her hand tight, and a faint smile spread across her face.

"It's worth it...this fight." Was the last thing she whispered.

Suki was forced to her feet then, fending off Firebenders and soldiers alike as Rin died. There was renewed fire in her eyes, and she fought with the ferocity of a summer storm. Suki and her girls, each and every one of them, were closer than sisters. They grew up and trained together, learning the teachings of Avatar Kyoshi. They fight now to protect the reincarnation of their hero.

She fought now for everyone she knew and loved.

xXxXxXxXx

Zuko backed up, hurrying behind a spike of ice as the fire blast came his way. He gasped for breath, exhausted. There were just too many damned tanks!

His thick blue anorak was singed and torn, something that tends to happen over time as you're desperately running around dodging fire. The Tanks by now were aware of the Waterbenders that went around specifically targeting them, and they are much more careful. One of Zuko's Waterbenders has already gone down, sporting terrible burns. He had been quickly taken out of there by his friends, where field medics carried him back into the city. Hopefully he will recover.

It wasn't only the tanks he had to worry about. More and more soldiers and benders have began to group around the tanks, making it harder and harder to get through them. One of these chaperone soldiers came at him, and Zuko's dual Dao Swords came out in a flash. The clash of weapons lasted for only a second, and the Firebender's superior skill quickly ended the battle.

He quickly came out on the other side of the ice spike, perpendicular to the Tank's current line of target; a group of defenders charging at the cluster of Fire Nation Soldiers. His remaining two Waterbenders rushed to join them, and the two sides slammed together, bursting into melee.

Zuko slashed his way past several of the soldiers, his swords weaving a deadly web of steel around him, one his enemies very quickly learned to avoid. He made his way to the tank, hopping onto it. The driver and the Firebender within were preoccupied, driving forward to push the Water Warriors back, their fire slamming against the two Waterbender's defences.

Zuko slipped into the tank, unnoticed until the last second, when it was too late. His blade slipped through flesh, between bones, and moments later everyone operating the tank had been taken out. Outside nobody seemed to have noticed, and the young warrior slipped out, landing on the snow softly even as the hard edge of a blade came around to sweep a soldier off his feet.

He quickly got back onto his feet, surrounded by chaos. The battle had very quickly disintegrated into several smaller group skirmishes, and rarely did anyone know what was the direction the battle was heading in. The young warrior quickly engaged with a skilled Firebender, who was quickly put onto the defensive.

Zuko turned around reflexively as he heard someone come up behind him, and saw enough to see a man with a large battleaxe held up over his head, ready to bring it down onto the Firebender. A flash of silver and a rather loud _smack!_ though, sent the man teetering to the side. Sokka stepped in and brought his weapon in again, slashing it hard across the man's face, sending him down into a pile of unconsciousness.

The young man shouldered his weapon for a moment before turning to engage another soldier in a fight. Zuko blinked, having to tear his gaze away back to his own battle with the Firebender, whom he disabled quickly. He glanced back at Sokka with disbelief.

The young man, having lost his weapons in the melee, was wielding a shovel, the same ones the water tribes had been using only days ago to bury explosives within the ice.

xXxXxXxXx

Katara and the other Waterbenders took several seconds to catch their breath. All around them from the ground rose up in sharp spikes, interlocked in an impenetrable wall around them. Many Fire Nation soldiers had died within them. One of their own Benders was down, and Katara did what she could for his burns before turning back to to their task at hand. The remaining five benders were well into enemy lines, and above them loomed the balloons. One of the Airships had finally crashed near the edge of the ice, taking a few of their ships down with it. The other one had made an emergency landing, and wasn't participating in the battle any time soon.

So all they had to deal with now is the Balloons.

Together, in unison, they synced their movements, their Bending, and grabbed at the ice and snow all around them. They went to the smallest individual units of water, ripping them apart and sending them up into the air. Ice and snow began to melt and steam all around them, shooting up into the sky, billowing outwards in an artificial cloud.

The Balloons were heading out over the battlefield once more, intent on reaching the city with its explosive cargo. With the trebuchets out and the soldiers being held back so well, they were the Fire Nation's only chance at damaging the city today.

Not if these Waterbenders have anything to say about it though.

The cloud travelled up, propelled with all the strength the Waterbenders could muster. Katara gritted her teeth through the dull pain of weariness that was starting to permeate her body, forcing herself to continue. The mist engulfed the bewildered balloons, and soon they were all within the midst of it, unable to see.

Katara and the other waterbenders exhaled together, preparing themselves for the hardest part.

They took the water vapour in the air, and took out what energy they could out of it, willing it to freeze. The cloud began to cling onto anything it could to condense. They condensed on the soot from the smoke in the air, falling down as black rain, snow, and hail.

They condensed on the balloons.

Katara couldn't see what was happening above, and the water vapour was so far away she could barely feel it. But with their combined strength they did all they could. She could almost hear the sound of hissing as the water gathered in droplets on the hot balloons, evaporating immediately but stealing some of the heat.

They pushed themselves to the edge of their endurance until they finally saw the first signs of success. All around the battlefield, out of the sky crashed down War Balloons, deflated and encrusted in ice. The Fire Nation Airforce had been taken out of the picture completely.

xXxXxXxXx

General Woon stood atop the walls of the city looking out over the battlefield, amazed with how well everything had been going. A week ago he had arrived at the city, infuriated that the Water Tribe had made the water impassable for his ships, forcing him to abandon them. Looking over it now though, it had been the best decision they could have made. Freezing the Ocean cut the city off from their main food supply, but if all goes according to plan, the battle would end by today. The city itself has not even been touched yet.

The fighting was heavy throughout the day. The last of the war balloons fell at around noon, drawing a great cheer to everyone who saw it. The greatest threat to the city itself was gone.

Only a few trebuchets made its way through the Kyoshi warriors' skilled work, and they hurled great flaming balls into the wall and city. Groups of soldiers fought their way through enemies lines towards these trebuchets, risking life and limb to cut them down. The defenders fought with passion, with purpose, and they remember the destruction made against their home by those great machines.

Woon watched as one group broke through, hacking down the trebuchet, killing its operators, before forging on and punching their way deeper into the enemy lines, halfway down the ice. They disabled that trebuchet too before they were finally cut down. Not one of them who had gone through were reported to have come back alive, and their courage touched the old veteran. It had been a long long time since he had been a fiery young man, ready to die for the honour and glory of his kingdom, and the battle sparked some of that within him once more.

Early into the afternoon the gates opened to allow the Kyoshi warriors in. Their jobs done, they had made their way back across the battlefield towards the city. One of them had been killed, two severely injured. The rest of them sported various cuts, bruises, and burns. Their leader, Suki, went straight for the commanding officers to make her report.

The general was the one to receive her.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and the young girl nodded. He saw her glancing anxiously back towards the battle, and he knew that she was worrying for a loved one.

"Yes. The last of their troops had disembarked. The bulk of the Fire Nation Army is now on the ice." She explained. Woon nodded sharply.

"I will go inform Chief Arnook right away." He replied, and then turned, barking orders at various men to spread the word. The final phase of their battle needed to get underway.

"There is a group of our Waterbenders still trapped behind enemy lines." Woon told Suki, turning back suddenly. The Kyoshi warrior nodded, knowing well what Katara's job had been.

"I will get them back safely." She assured him, understanding what he was getting at. With a final bow, she turned and headed for where Appa was resting.

xXxXxXxXx

For the demoralized troops of the Fire Nation, the day dragged on seemingly without end. They had been taken from more familiar sights, their homes in the Fire Nation and in the Earth Kingdom Colonies, and shipped here to fight for a cause they did not understand. The Avatar has long been an enemy of their glorious nation, but they found it hard to comprehend the danger a newborn posed for their safety and security as a nation.

They watched as shadows appeared within their ranks, destroying their trebuchets and killing soldiers, and before they could even retaliate, were gone. Waterbenders flew up above them on some great beast, flinging liquid fire that scorched and destroyed their air vessels, and what little of the blasting jelly that got down to the ground wreaked havoc within their ranks. Two Firebenders amongst their enemies' ranks confused them, making them unsure of who was friend or foe.

And the enemy soldiers themselves, the regular warriors! They fought with fury and without end, their drive to protect their homes much stronger than the Fire Soldier's duty to his emperor and nation.

And so when the enemy lines finally seemed to have broken, the Fire Nation forces driving them back towards their city walls, they gave a hopeful cheer. Their enemies' ranks broke and the strength suddenly seemed to have left them.

Mina Ornow felt her spirits rise as she chased her fleeing opponents. The entirety of the defenders' ranks seemed to have broken down into an unorganized mess of frantic retreating. Up above them the great flying beast Mina had seen earlier gave a loud, tired groan and flew back into the city. And good riddance!

They were almost at the wall! The young Firebender sprinted forward, breaking away from her unit to shoot a powerful jet of fire at a boy, barely a man. He felt the heat at his back and broke forward into a roll, under her attack. He came back up facing her, and she stared at him incredulously for a moment before snapping her focus back onto the battle.

The young man held a metal shovel in two hands, the heavy and unwieldy weapon unbalanced in his grip. He was gasping for breath, obviously exhausted from a long day's fight. He favoured a leg, probably injured in the battle. She thought him an easy target. He looked past her though, and his eyes widened.

"Aw geez. Sorry, I have to go!" He yelled at her, then turned around and ran for it. Mina blinked and turned back as the ground under her shook violently to see a large wall of ice and snow exploding into the air in succession. Blast after blast went off from one side of the ice field across to the other. Crack shot out from the explosions, creating a web of crisscrossing cracks that widened with each blast.

Mina's eyes opened wide as she understood. That retreat had been a bait. The entire battlefield was being destroyed.

"Run for the wall!" She cried out to the rest of her squad, who were staring in horror at the sight behind them. They seemed to have been woken by her voice, and they turned in unison, making a break towards the city. The ice under their feet shifted up and down, slowly breaking apart. They were the lucky ones, they were close enough to reach the safe zone in time, and were promptly captured by the Water Tribe.

xXxXxXxXx

All of the capable Waterbenders left in the Tribe spread themselves out across the ice behind the safe zone, where they had long ago set up a weakness in the ice that the cracks would follow, and woulds not cross beyond. Together, dozens of them, rose the water into this break, pushing out with all the force they could muster. A great wave rose, and the icy battlefield buckled and broke, until it was a mess of smaller pieces of icy ground. What mines that were not linked to the long line used to start this process went off then, continuing to shake the very foundations of the city and the ocean with explosions.

The wave pushed the debris out into sea, crashing into the ships, destroying a very high number. As it all finally cleared, later in the afternoon, what little survivors of the ill-fated attack turned and left, sailing away as fast as they could.

As Katara finally let go of her hold on the water, after helping the rest of the benders calm it down, she wobbled and nearly fell. Strong hands caught her, both Zuko and Sokka at her side.

"We won." Sokka stated simply.

* * *

Aaaannndddd...that's that. Btw, there were three NaNoWriMo traditions/memes in this in total, and one of which was used a total of three times. So there's five things to look for.

This was my first time ever directing a large-scale battle. It was an interesting challenge that started out as a big frustration for me. I hope that what I settled on -distributing the main characters into various specialized roles and telling the battle from their perspective- worked well. I might have...uh...been a little too happy with abusing lots and lots of explosives, and I swear I tried to think of how to even the battle out for the Fire Nation, but...Waterbenders are just so much easier to work into special roles that are more than simply "KILL".

I wish I have a sense of humour. Writing Sokka is a pain when I have no wit at all, even anything close to his lame wit. I really don't like making him permanently serious and big-brotherly and a warrior and all that, but I'm afraid I just can't come up with the stuff he says.

Anyways, onto my next and final chapter.


	7. Aang: Solstice

Yay short chapter! This is the epilogue.

Enjoy.

* * *

Sokka sat down cross legged in front of the small pond, and he stared down into the water, at the two fish endlessly swimming around each other. Somewhere behind him Toph was snoring loudly in her small tent of stone.

"Hello Yue." He whispered softly, his eyes following the fluid movements of the White Koi, Tui. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he saw the fish look up at him for a the briefest of moments. He waited for several seconds, holding his breath. When nothing more happened he gave a disappointed sigh.

"We're leaving tomorrow." He continued anyways. Even if Yue was not responding, he knew that she was listening, and that she cared. That's what he kept telling himself.

"It took us a while to fix the city didn't it? They only fired a few shots, and it took us more than two months to repair them." He mumbled, and then a smile broke over his face.

"We just got news from dad. They did it! They fought and won against the Southern Raiders. And the Earth Kingdom Army has been making great progress at liberating their western lands. Things have been...hard without Aang, but it seems we're going going to finally end this." He murmured, shifting so that he rested his elbows on his knees and his chin dropped into his open palms.

"It doesn't feel like he's gone. It's funny...I know that I'll never see him again, but it doesn't seem to hurt like it did several months ago. I mean, I _know_ he's gone, but...it just doesn't seem that way, like...I don't feel it. It's hard to explain, but it's like he's almost-" He continued softly, but was interrupted by a rough voice behind him.

"You're crazy you know that Sokka? You do realize you're talking to a _fish_, right?" Toph told him through a yawn, a hint of amusement in her voice. Sokka nearly jumped out of his skin, flinching so badly that he almost fell over.

"Don't do that!" He scolded, catching himself. Damn it, and he thought he was being sneaky. Darned Earthbender's hearing was way too good. Doesn't help that despite how much trouble they always have at waking her up, she was a very light sleeper. "And it's not just a fish, OK? That's the spirit of the Moon and Ocean!"

"And talking to your dead girlfriend isn't weird?" She shot back with a mischievous grin, and Sokka was at a loss for a reply.

"Sh-she's not my g- I mean...yes she is, but I'm with Suki- no it's not weird! The talking to Yue part, I mean, not Suki, not that that's weird either- and she's not dead!" He stuttered, completely flustered as to how to reply. Toph simply laughed, sitting down beside him.

"Chill. You make it too easy." She told him, giving him an affectionate punch on the shoulder. She stared out over the water, her sightless gaze locked onto nothing. She lowered her feet into the water, splashing them slightly against the surface. "It'll be so nice to finally get back to solid ground. I'm bored out of my mind here."

Sokka's grumblings died down as he looked back down to the water, to Tui, and wished that she would talk to him. He loved Suki with all his heart, but he missed the Princess of the Water Tribe. She had been an amazing girl, with so much strength. If only he could see her again someday...

"I guess you're not going to be sorry about leaving here huh?" He asked, and the Earthbender shook her head as an emphatic 'no'. She feels like she's been stuck in a cage for months, and she hated that feeling. Being out on the recovered Earth boats wasn't nearly as nice as the actual earth of the Oasis, so she's been stuck here for months. With the condition the waters have been in as a result of the battle, as well as the incoming winter, they haven't been able to safely send any ships back to the Earth Kingdom yet. The waters had only just calmed the last few days and the Earth Nation soldiers were finally going home.

"So, this Yue. Is she actually the fish?" Toph asked after a long moment of silence, and Sokka nodded.

"I'm pretty sure. Tui gave her life when she was young, and she gave it back to the spirit. Aang told me that he met her once after waking up." He replied, staring up at the sky above, where a waning almost-full moon cast its bright light down to illuminate the small cove. "I...was hoping to meet her again today actually."

Toph stifled a yawn, stretching back to lie on the grass, her feet still in the water.

"And how'd you figure you'd do that?" She asked. He turned his gaze back down to the fish.

"It's the Winter Solstice. The Angakut says that the Spirit Oasis is where the Spirit World and the Physical world comes together, and the Solstice is when the two worlds are closest together. I thought that maybe today, I could have seen her." He explained, and he shifted his posture again so that he hugged his knees against himself, resting his head on top of them.

"You know, she sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind meeting her." Toph told the young man, and he nodded with a slight smile.

Sokka perked up a bit, a hand reflexively jerking to his back where his boomerang was usually strapped, though missing today. All around him, the light seemed to be growing...brighter? As if the moon above was growing in strength.

"Sokka?" Toph whispered, rolling up into a sitting position as she felt him tense up.

"I...don't know." He replied, looking around for the source of light. Then, before him, in the rays of light that came down from the moon, the brightness seemed to collect together into two separate glowing forms that soon dimmed down into darkness. Sokka's mouth was soon gaping wide open as one of the spirits flung himself forward to wrap both him and Toph in a tight hug.

"You're here! Oh man did I ever miss you guys!" He cried out happily, as behind him, the ghostly form of Yue remained, a pleasant smile on her face. Toph yelped as she felt the contact, tensing until she heard the voice, and her face soon mirror's Sokka's of disbelief.

"Aang?"

xXxXxXxXx

Katara had been preparing to go to bed for the night when her brother skidded past her door on the icy floor, turned back, and barged into her room. She sat in front of a mirror, running a brush through her thick hair. She had removed her hair loopies, allowing the full volume of it all to cascade down about her shoulders and down her back.

"Katara!" he cried excitedly, nearly jumping up and down as he stopped beside his bewildered sister, trying to explain what was going on. Her eyes widened as he finished, and she dropped her brush onto the table, getting to her feet immediately. Without another word she grabbed a thick coat, threw it over her nightgown, and rushed out of the room with her brother.

They made their way to the back of the Chief Temple, to the insignia of the Water Tribes engraved on the wall. Katara, having come here many many times, opened the secret entrance easily and slipped in, her brother coming in behind her.

She felt her heart catch in her throat at the scene before her, a scene she had longed to see for more than two long hard months.

Across the pond from her Aang and Toph sat facing each other, chatting animatedly, the two of them sharing a laugh at some joke or another. They both turned at Katara and Sokka's entrances, the grin on the young Airbender's face stretching to cross his entire face. His eyes locked on Katara, and he scrambled onto his feet.

Katara remembered to breathe, and broke out into a run the same moment he did. The two met halfway across the bridge, and they locked into a tight hug the moment they came together. Aang buried his face into the front of her nightgown, and she wrapped her arms around his back, holding him close, her hair falling forward around him.

He was exactly as she remembered him on the day they had met. His head was clean shaven, showing the arrow tattoo over his head clearly, and he wore the outfit of the Air Nomad children, the soft fabric free of the wear and tear of their journey. She ran her hand over his back, the skin under it smooth and unscarred. She enjoyed his warmth against hers, and the two stood there for a very long time.

"Ahem!" Toph said quite loudly behind them, her arms crossed in an irritated fashion though there was nothing less of a mischievous grin on her face. Katara and Aang let go of each other then, lingering for a moment to stare into the other's eyes. More passed between them in that moment than any amount of words could have described.

"You said you'd explain yourself once Sokka brought Katara." Toph interrupted again, now standing right behind him. "Come on twinkletoes, we're waiting."

Aang drew back reluctantly as Sokka walked up beside them as well. Katara turned from them back to the Airbender, and only then did the question break through the sea of joy and happiness that had flooded her.

"How?" She asked incredulously. How was he standing here before them? Oh to see him alive and well again...!

Aang turned back towards the pond, where Yue was sitting at the edge of the water. Her glowing white dress cascaded all about her like flowing water, and she watched with a faint smile, and brought a hand up to give a small wave.

"I wanted to see you all again." He started hesitantly, looking back to his friends. "It...was something I had to take care of."

"Wait, you're a ghost?" Sokka piped up, leaning forward beside his sister to examine Aang, who just laughed and waved him back.

"Of course not, I'm not haunting anyone." The Airbender replied. "I'm a spirit! Sort of. Avatar Roku tried to explain it to me but it was confusing. I mean, technically I'm also him and Kyoshi and Kuruk and this new girl Sika and every past Avatar, but I'm mostly Aang. I mean, I have all my own memories and...nevermind." He brushed it off when he realized his friends weren't following at all. He didn't blame them, he was still trying to digest all this information himself.

"Sounds complicated. So how'd you get here?" Sokka asked, and the young boy looked back to the Moon Spirit again.

"Yue helped me. Hei Bai came into the physical world once during the Solstice right? So I thought I'd try the same thing. I found Yue and she told me you were all here at the North Pole, and the Spirit Oasis is practically in the Spirit World, especially tonight. I pretty much just walked here with how weak the wall is between the worlds." He explained happily.

Katara frowned at these explanations, and she felt her heart drop at the implications.

"So...you're not...staying?" She asked, and Aang shook his head.

"No. I can't. I...really shouldn't be doing this at all, but I had to see you one more time, all of you. I wanted to say goodbye." He murmured, and Roku's warnings tore at the edges of his mind. He tried to push them away. _The living needs to learn to move on. You make this process much harder for your friends, it is best to leave them be._

Toph walked past Aang then, punching him hard in the arm. It caught him by surprise, and he toppled over and she continued on to stop just in front of him, beside Katara.

"Oof." Aang got back to his feet immediately, turning to face Toph's back.

"Hey, what was that for?" He complained, rubbing his sore arm. She turned back with a grin and shook her head.

"_That_, twinkletoes, was for Wulong Forest. And for getting yourself killed." Her grin suddenly turned into a scowl.

"What had happened to you?" Her voice dropped at the end, and Aang was surprised to hear it cracking. He felt himself squirming with guilt. He had left everyone days before the battle without a word, after snapping at them for his frustrations. And they had never heard from him after that.

"I'm glad to see that you all landed safely." He replied apologetically, dodging the question and drawing an angry huff from the Earthbender. He glanced between her and Sokka, remembering how he had blown the airship away. He remembered hearing the loud splash in the distance, and had only been able to pray for his friend's safety.

"I wish I knew...me and Zuko were in the capital. We should have stayed. We could have gotten you out...we saw the balloons heading back for the Fire Nation. We could have saved you." Katara murmured, shaking her head as the events came back to haunt her again as they had been for weeks. Iroh had claimed that destiny was on their side the day of Sozin's comet, but evidently it had turned against them the day after. Fate was cruel, made it much harder to accept what has happened.

"Don't do that Katara." Aang scowled, crossing his arms. "It's not your fault and you know it. Fighting him was my choice."

Toph stamped a foot on the ground impatiently, turning back to face them in the same motion. A small section of the stone bridge under Aang's foot rose up and back down. He reacted quickly, giving a small hop over it to avoid tripping.

"I'm waiting." She scolded, crossing her arms, and Aang rubbed the back of his head apologetically, trying to remember what it was she was asking. She saw this immediately, and blew hair out of her face with irritation. "I think you owe us at least a short version of what happened."

The Airbeneder sighed, dropping his arms back down to his side.

"I...lost. There's not much more too it. I wasn't strong enough and he beat me." He started slowly. "I saw Sokka on the airship, and I knew you were on it too. He was going for you guys, and...I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you get involved."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Toph growled, dropping her hands to her sides and clenching her fists. Aang smiled weakly.

"I tried to escape on Mid-Autumn. I failed, and I guess Ozai simply decided that I was too dangerous to keep around." He winced at the memory, and quickly pushed it away. It had happened mercifully quickly, but it wasn't exactly pleasant. Katara felt tears come to her eyes at the thought of Aang facing death, but she fought them back as she drew Aang back into a comforting hug, having saw the brief flash of fear cross his eyes. She silently scolded Toph for making him recount such events.

He fell into the embrace easily.

"I met Avatar Roku right away. It's my job to guide the next Avatar, but I barely know anything. So he has been teaching me." He murmured into her clothing, closing his eyes to simply enjoy her warmth. They stayed there, silent, for many moments before Aang pushed himself back, staring up into Katara's eyes.

"I have to go." He told her sadly. The Waterbender didn't reply, her gaze dropping down to stare at the front of her dress, avoiding eye contact.

"I...I know...but can't you stay a little longer?" She asked.

"A few minutes shouldn't hurt."

Behind them Sokka realized his cue to give them some privacy and grabbed Toph by the shoulder, tugging her back. She seemed to understand, because she shrugged his hand off and took a step back.

"We'll leave you two lovebirds at it. Hey Sokka, why don't you introduce me to that girlfriend of yours?" Toph said, pointing her thumb over the water where Yue sat by the water's edge. Aang nodded to the two thankfully as Toph grabbed Sokka by the hand and started marching him over the bridge. The Airbender and the Waterbender waited until they were on the other side of the Oasis before looking back to each other.

"Aang..." She began, but he shook his head, quieting her.

"Katara, I know it's hard, but I-" He began, but was abruptly cut off as Katara tightened her hold around his back, pulling him in even as she leaned down herself. As their lips met she closed her eyes, and Aang's own widened in shock.

The kiss lasted for only a second before Aang broke them off abruptly, pushing Katara back. He was blushing profusely, avoiding her eyes as she stared down at him, stunned and hurt. She didn't know what came over her, but whatever it was, it had been wonderful. She thought Aang felt that way too, and anguish twisted at her heart as she questioned his feelings for her.

"I'm sorry Katara." He gulped, forcing himself to look back up at her. He could see that his actions had hurt her, but he took in a deep breath, gathering his courage.

"I love you." Katara whispered. Her eyes began to water, and a single tear came down from the edge of her eyes, drawing a line across her cheek and down to her chin.

"I love you too. I loved you since the day we met." He replied, wiping away that tear with a hand. He hated to see her cry, to see her in pain, and he suddenly understood what Roku had meant. Even as his heart soared to hear those words he had been longing to hear from her for so long, guilt stamped out his joy. He was causing her pain.

There was no going back now.

"I will never forget you Katara, but you have to let me go." he whispered, and moved his hand down from her chin to tap her gently on the heart, the Chakra of Air, of Love. "A wise man once told me that love is a powerful energy that flows all around us. Our love will always exist, and it will take new forms, but only if you allow it to, if you let go of your grief."

Katara nodded slowly, knowing that she had to accept that he was gone, but it was so hard...to think that in only a few precious moments she would never see him again, hear his innocent, childish laugh, be able to hold him in her arms like this...everything came crashing back to her, the initial denial and grief that had trapped her heart for so long after hearing about Aang's death.

He pulled her back in for a tight hug, each resting their heads against the other's shoulders. He squeezed her reassuringly. _Don't be afraid to love another for the sake of me, please. _He prayed silently, closing his eyes as he felt the rhythmic beat of her heart.

When they pulled apart, Toph and Sokka had returned, Yue at their side.

"Roku told me that some friendships transcend lifetimes. I know it to be true." He told his friends firmly as Yue walked forward, ready to guide him back safely.

Toph stood there silently, could feel his physical weight lessening, disappearing. On a sudden impulse she ran forward and threw her arms around the fading boy. Sokka and Katara were quick to join her, and the four shared a final group hug.

Then, suddenly he was gone, as if he had never been there. The trio caught themselves as his physical form vanished, leaving the three of them in the dark. Up above the moon had shifted far enough that it was no longer within the opening in the ceiling, no longer casting its silvery light onto the oasis.

* * *

And that concludes it. Thank you so much for staying with me until the very end. This story had made me face many challenges, and somehow, I got through them all. 'tis the nature of NaNo. Now that I think about it, I never explained what NaNoWriMo is did I? Ah well, that's what Google's for.

I like how this chapter turned out. Just as a disclaimer, I have no romantic experience, and I rarely watch/read anything that's too heavy with romance. I have nothing to base it off of really, which is why I avoid writing romance, ever. This chapter kind of, uh, demanded it though. I hope I did OK with that? Got lots of Kataang in there while leaving a good opening for Zutara people, leaves everyone happy eh?

And yes, this is the end of my story. Some might wonder why I don't continue forward and see the war to its conclusion, but the truth is that I've always seen the end of the battle at the North to be the best endpoint. What will happen in the future? Who knows!

...that's it I guess. This had been an interesting experience, and is also the first long fanfic I have actually finished. I might be coming back to revisit the Avatar world again- it's really a really nice setting to work with.


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